Han Dong-hoon calls Lee's sliding approval rating a sign of public desertion, urges conservative revival

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon said Friday that public sentiment is turning away from President Lee Jae Myung, citing the president's falling approval rating as he called for a conservative revival.

Han shared on Facebook the results of a Gallup Korea poll showing Lee's approval rating had hit its lowest point since taking office, and said the public is abandoning the Lee administration.

"If conservatives rebuild, we can win a landslide in the general election and restore South Korea to normalcy," Han said. "Everyone knows the path to victory, yet pursuing the path to defeat out of self-interest is no way to serve the people."

The remarks were widely read as Han pressing for conservative innovation while drawing a line against calls for his own political exit — and taking aim at People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, who has been pressuring Han's allies, as the current government faces mounting crises over real estate policy and proposed tax reform.

The Gallup Korea survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday among 1,000 registered voters aged 18 and older nationwide and released Friday, showed 44 percent gave a positive assessment of President Lee's job performance, while 46 percent gave a negative assessment. Ten percent withheld judgment.

It was the lowest approval rating for Lee recorded by Gallup Korea since he took office.

Notably, the negative rating of 46 percent surpassed the positive rating for the first time.

Lee's approval had peaked at 67 percent in March, shedding more than 20 percentage points in five months — a so-called "dead cross," the point at which negative ratings overtake positive ones.

Compared with the previous survey, conducted July 21 through July 23, the positive rating fell 7 percentage points while the negative rating rose 8 percentage points.

The survey used random-digit dialing of virtual mobile numbers provided by the three major wireless carriers. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level, with a response rate of 9.7 percent. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.