Approval ratings: Kim Min-seok at 25.6%, Jang Dong-hyeok at 33.6%, poll shows

A new poll shows approval ratings for Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok and People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok stand in the 20 percent and 30 percent ranges, respectively.

In a survey conducted by Realmeter on behalf of the Energy Economy Newspaper from Monday to Wednesday among 1,514 adults aged 18 and older, 25.6 percent of respondents gave a positive assessment of Kim's job performance, the pollster announced Thursday. Some 67.6 percent gave a negative assessment.

Jang's job performance drew a positive rating from 33.6 percent of respondents, while 59.5 percent rated it negatively.

The poll also asked respondents about President Lee Jae Myung's weekend golf outings. Some 48.7 percent said he should refrain from playing out of preparedness for disasters and security threats, while 45.0 percent said golf was a personal leisure activity and posed no problem. The remaining 6.3 percent were unsure.

On the opposition's push for a so-called "golf special prosecutor act" to investigate the president's golf schedule, costs and appropriateness, 53.9 percent of respondents said subjecting a holiday outdoor activity to a special prosecutor probe amounted to excessive political attacks. Meanwhile, 39.6 percent said a special investigation was necessary to determine whether Lee had neglected his duties and to ensure transparency over costs.

The survey was conducted via automated response system calls to mobile phones. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level, with a response rate of 2.5 percent. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.