(ATTN: ADDS info on general elections in paras 9-10)
SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose slightly to 39 percent after weeks of decline, a weekly poll showed Friday.
The survey, conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,003 people aged 18 and older, showed that positive assessments of Lee's performance increased 2 percentage points from the previous week.
The figure marks a slight recovery from his record low of 37 percent recorded in the previous two Gallup polls, following a downward trend since late August.
Those who disapproved of Lee's handling of state affairs rose by 1 percentage point on-week to 52 percent.
President Lee Jae Myung attends a meeting with his senior secretaries at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Oct. 15, 2026. (Yonhap)
Among those who positively assessed Lee's performance, 20 percent cited diplomacy, followed by economic and livelihood issues at 11 percent.
Real estate policies, along with economic and livelihood concerns, were among the main reasons cited by those who disapproved of Lee's performance.
Support for the ruling Democratic Party rose 1 percentage point to 36 percent after marking the lowest figure since the launch of Lee's administration last week.
Support for the main opposition People Power Party also rose 1 percentage point to 27 percent.
For the 2028 general elections, 47 percent said more opposition candidates should be elected to keep the government in check, while 34 percent favored DP candidates to support the government.
More respondents supported the opposition's victory across all age groups except those in their 40s and 50s, whose support for the DP's victory stood at 50 percent and 48 percent, respectively.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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