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South Korea president seeks reset after approval rating nosedive
Lee apologized and ordered a Cabinet reshuffle after his approval rating fell to a record 38%, as economic frustration and U.S. tensions mounted.
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held a press conference on Friday to address record-low approval ratings hitting 37 per cent, as he faces mounting pressure from Donald Trump over stalled policy commitments.
- Voters have soured on Lee due to economic issues including high property prices, despite record profits from chip giants SK Hynix Inc and Samsung Electronics. Lee reshuffled his Cabinet weeks ago, including Kim Yong-beom's departure, but failed to reverse the decline.
- Trump has criticized Seoul over slow progress on a $350 billion U.S. trade deal and reluctance to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Washington stations around 28,500 soldiers in the South to help protect it from North Korea.
- Lee risks "early lame-duck status," said Jeong Han-wool, director of the Korean People Research Institute, noting he faces criticism regardless of policy choices. Domestic opposition remains strong regarding potential troop deployments under Washington's pressure.
- Any mission would require Seoul to balance Washington's demands with the risk of Iranian retaliation and military readiness, Bloomberg Economics analysts Hyosung Kwon and Adam Farrar noted in a recent assessment.
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South Korean Public Disappointed, President Lee Jae Myung Apologizes: "The People Are Always Right."
The South Korean president apologized after the public expressed disappointment. This disappointment was evident in the plummeting public approval rating.
President Lee Jae-myung stated, “The result of much deliberation and reflection was that ‘the people are always right,’” adding, “It is all due to my shortcomings.” In his opening remarks at a press conference held at the Blue House State Guest House on the morning of the 18th, President Lee said, “Since the local elections, facing what appears to be sudden disappointment and concern among the people…”
Breaking News: President Lee flustered by public disappointment and concern following local elections; "It is all due to my shortcomings."
Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left1Leaning Right4Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Right
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Right
57% Right
14%
C 29%
R 57%
Factuality
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