President Moon's approval rating dips to lowest since last October: Realmeter

SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has fallen to the lowest level since last October, a poll showed Thursday, amid a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in South Korea and political controversies over major policies.

In a three-day Realmeter survey of 1,506 voters nationwide through Wednesday, 42.5 percent of respondents supported Moon, down 1.8 percentage points from a week earlier.

It marks the lowest figure in 58 weeks in the pollster's regular survey. Moon's approval rating plunged to 41.4 percent in the second week of October last year, as he faced a fierce backlash against the appointment of Cho Kuk as justice minister despite alleged wrongdoings involving his family, which included suspicions over a private equity fund investment and his daughter's college admission process.

The negative assessment of his presidency rose 2.3 percentage points to 53.3 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Public outcry persists over the government's failure to stabilize the housing market. Apartment prices have skyrocketed especially in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province.

Local news outlets have also churned out reports of an apparent conflict between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, who is spearheading the reform of the state prosecution service, and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who has emerged as a potential presidential candidate for the opposition bloc. Yoon remains guarded about whether he intends to engage formally in politics some day. Moon has refrained from commenting on the issue in public.

On Tuesday, a state committee called for the reconsideration of a project to expand Gimhae International Airport located on the western end of Busan.

The decision, based on a longtime review of the politically sensitive plan, has reignited debate over the location of a new air travel hub in the nation's southeast.

nyway@yna.co.kr
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