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President Lee's approval rating falls to 54 percent, critics cite diplomacy, visa-free entry for Chinese tourists

Published: 17 Oct. 2025, 14:53

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the second Strategy Meeting on Regulatory Reform at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 16. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating inched down to 54 percent, a survey showed Friday.

In a Gallup Korea survey of 1,001 adults conducted Tuesday through Thursday, the positive evaluation of Lee's performance declined 1 percentage point from the previous poll conducted in the fourth week of September.

The negative assessment of Lee rose 1 percentage point to 35 percent.

Among the respondents, 16 percent who gave a positive evaluation cited the economy, while 18 percent of those with a negative view pointed to diplomacy, followed by 8 percent who criticized visa-free entry for Chinese tourists and what they viewed as pro-China policies.

Gallup noted that before the extended Chuseok holiday from Oct. 3 to 9, negative sentiment focused mainly on controversies surrounding Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de's resignation.

In the latest survey, criticism related to policies on China and real estate was cited as a reason for negative assessment, it said.

The pollster also pointed out that public concerns over visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, a series of abductions and detentions of Koreans in Cambodia and real estate measures announced earlier this week may have contributed to the negative sentiment.

The approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party each rose 1 percentage point to 39 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Yonhap