Yoon's approval rating hits new low of 17 pct: Gallup poll

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating dropped further to 17 percent, marking the lowest level since he took office in May 2022, a poll showed Friday.

The survey, conducted by the polling agency Gallup Korea, showed that the positive assessment of Yoon's performance plunged 2 percentage points from the previous week, while his negative assessment reached an all-time high of 74 percent, up 2 percent from a week earlier.

Yoon's approval rating came to 19 percent last week, marking the first time his approval rating fell below the 20 percent mark in Gallup surveys.

His handling of first lady Kim Keon Hee's allegations, the economy and lack of communication were cited as reasons for the negative assessment.

The first lady has been accused of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, the illegal receipt of a luxury bag and interference in the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) candidate nominations ahead of the April general elections.

The approval rating of the PPP came to 29 percent, down 3 percentage points from a week earlier, while support for the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) went up 4 percentage points to 36 percent.

In the same survey, 29 percent of the respondents said they supported DP leader Lee Jae-myung for the next president, followed by 14 percent favoring PPP leader Han Dong-hoon.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
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