Moon’s approval rating edges up to 47.8 per cent: Realmeter

President Moon Jae-in (3rd from R) holds a meeting with the heads of South Korea’s five major political parties (Yonhap)

Seoul: President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating has gained 3.3 percentage points on-week amid news reports of his meeting with the heads of five major political parties and improved employment-related data, Realmeter said Monday.

In the survey of 2,511 voters nationwide for five business days last week, 47.8 percent of respondents supported the president. The proportion of those critical of him dipped 3.6 percentage points to 48.6 percent from a week earlier. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.0 percentage points.

The polling agency said the rise in Moon’s popularity seems to be based on his reported efforts to strengthen “communication” with political parties after presenting his vision for fairness, innovation and inclusiveness as policy priorities in the latter half of his presidency.

He invited the leaders of five ruling and opposition parties to a dinner meeting at his Cheong Wa Dae official residence on Nov. 10.

Cheong Wa Dae’s reaffirmation of a plan to end a military information-sharing agreement with Japan and release of statistics pointing to constant growth in employment also appear to have helped boost Moon’s popularity, Realmeter said.

The ruling Democratic Party’s approval rating rose 1.2 percentage points to 39 percent, while that of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party fell 2.9 percentage points to 30.7 percent.

YONHAP