Moon's approval rating sinks with public criticism growing: Realmeter

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has dropped to 45.3 percent, while the portion of those critical of his leadership has soared above 50 percent, Realmeter said Monday.

In the five-day phone survey of 2,510 people nationwide, aged 19 or older, through last Friday, Moon's popularity dropped 3.5 percentage points from a week earlier. And 50.9 percent of respondents disapproved of Moon's presidency, up 4.4 percentage points. The margin of error is plus and minus 2.0 percentage points.

The local pollster ascribed the decline to a number of negative media reports on Moon.

For instance, Moon said in his new year press conference that he owes former Justice Minister Cho Kuk "debts in heart," negatively affecting the sentiment of people who opposed Moon's appointment of Cho as justice minister amid prosecutors' probe into a scandal involving his family.

The approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party fell 2.7 percentage points to 38.4 percent and that for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party gained 1.4 percentage points to 32.7 percent, with the gap narrowing less than three months ahead of the general elections.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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