President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating slid to 40.2 percent last week from a week earlier, a poll showed Monday, amid little sign of a breakthrough in the walkout by junior doctors over the government's plan to increase the medical school admissions quota.
The positive assessment of Yoon's performance fell 0.9 percentage point from 41.1 percent, with the negative assessment rising 0.7 percentage point to 56.1 percent, according to a survey by Realmeter conducted Monday to Friday last week.
The pollster cited the little headway made between the government and striking doctors in solving their row as the reason for the lack of upward momentum in public support.
Yoon's series of public debates with citizens on livelihood issues have been drawing criticism that such sessions may influence the voters with the April general elections less than a month away.
The survey, commissioned by the Energy Economy News Daily, has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.
In a separate survey on political parties, conducted on Thursday and Friday last week, the ruling People Power Party had 41.9 percent support, falling behind the main opposition Democratic Party's 43.1 percent.
The latest ratings mark a 4.8 percentage-point tumble for the PPP and a 4 percentage-point jump for the DP, compared with the previous poll.
The poll showed that the PPP's support fell in Busan, Ulsan and Daejeon, as well as the South Gyeongsang and Chungcheong regions -- its traditional strongholds.
The DP saw its support rate rise in most regions of the country, including Seoul.
Support for the New Reform Party, created by former PPP leader Lee Jun-seok, held steady at 3.1 percent. The New Future Party, led by former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, had a support rate of 1.7 percent.
The portion of those who do not support any political party stood at 4.6 percent, up 0.4 percentage point from last week.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. (Yonhap)
