South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has dropped to 43.3 percent, the lowest level since he took office in June 2025, marking a fourth consecutive weekly decline. Negative assessments of his performance rose to 53 percent, up 2.5 percentage points from the previous week, according to a Realmeter survey of 2,514 adults conducted Aug. 3–7.
The slide has been driven by controversy over a government push to raise taxes on owners of luxury homes and vacant buildings and a judicial reform stripping prosecutors of direct investigative authority. Support among younger voters is particularly weak, standing at 27.9 percent among those in their 20s and 33.2 percent among those in their 30s. Lee took to X on Aug. 8 to emphasize his commitment to engaging with younger generations.
The political headwinds coincide with economic turbulence, as the KOSPI has fallen sharply since July, trading in the low 6,000 range. A severe heatwave has also tested the administration, with 19 heat-related deaths and 2,221 illnesses recorded between May 15 and Aug. 3, including a record 42.5°C reading in Yangsan on Aug. 2.