Lee Jae Myung was elected on June 3
The approval rate of South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung has surged to 65%, as he began his second month in office since being elected on June 3.
A Gallup Korea survey of 1,001 people, carried out on the first three days of July, showed 65% of respondents backing the “good job” done by 61-year-old Lee.
Lee won a snap presidential election triggered by the impeachment of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, over the latter's failed bid to impose martial law on Dec. 03.
The survey also showed that 23% disapproved of Lee's performance.
Lee's ruling Democratic Party saw its popularity climb to 46%, further denting the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), which saw its rating fall to 22%.
The survey came as Lee held his first formal, wide-ranging news conference on Thursday, detailing his agenda, stressing inter-Korean dialogue, emphasizing securing livelihoods, and reiterating his “pragmatic” diplomacy.
In his first weeks, Lee has already announced the wiping of the debt of small businesses amid talks with the US over tariffs, which have hit the domestic economy.
He addressed the media at the Blue House, which remains under renovation for the presidential office to be shifted there after Yoon dumped it for the Defense Ministry compound, from where the impeached president ran his office.
All through his interaction, sitting close to reporters for over two hours, Lee emphasized cross-party cooperation, without even mentioning Yoon once.
However, on the same day, the opposition PPP lawmakers left the parliament midway before the lawmakers endorsed Kim Min-seok as Lee's pick for premier.
Lee even discussed reducing working weekdays to 4.5, recalling his time at a factory during his childhood, where he worked to support himself and his family.
“Initially, we didn't rest at all for a whole month. Then they let us rest once a month… then twice a month… then once a week,” he said, adding that such changes “take time.”
