S.Korean President's approval rating dips to 38%

Seoul, Aug 9 (IANS) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has dipped to 38 per cent, a new survey revealed on Wednesday.

The Yonhap News Agency survey was conducted jointly with Yonhap News TV on 1,000 people aged 18 and older to gauge public sentiment.

According to the poll, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance was 38 per cent, down 0.4 percentage point from the previous survey conducted a month ago, while the negative assessment came to 52.3 per cent, also down 0.7 percentage point.

The negative assessment of the President has continued a downward trend since the survey was first conducted in May, when the figure stood at 60 per cent.

The number dropped to 58.5 per cent in June and 53 per cent in July.

Consistent with the previous surveys, the most cited factors by those approving of Yoon's performance were diplomacy and national security at 42.9 per cent.

The economy and people's livelihoods, on the other hand, were the most cited factors by those disapproving at 32.6 per cent, up 10.1 percentage points from the previous month.

It was the first time that the economy and people's livelihoods were the most cited factors, outpacing diplomacy and national security.

The poll also indicated the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) would run neck and neck in next year's elections.