Lee's approval rating recovers on trade deal, safety stance: Realmeter
The recovery, which negated more than half the reduction over the two previous weeks, followed Seoul's announcement Thursday in a reduction in new US tariffs on South Korean goods including cars from 25 percent to 15 percent in return for a $450 billion spending package to invest in the US and buy US natural liquefied gas.
The latest poll involved 2,520 people across the country aged 18 or older.
This was in line with a separate poll, also released by Realmeter Monday, that 63.9 percent of 1,016 respondents viewed the tariff deal struck between Seoul and Washington favorably. On the other hand, 32.3 percent viewed the deal unfavorably.
About 23.8 percent of the respondents viewed the cut in the US' "reciprocal" tariff to 15 percent and most-favored nation treatment for sector-specific tariffs as the biggest achievement in the latest trade deal, while 23.2 percent said it was avoiding further opening of US beef or rice to South Korean markets.
Also driving the uptrend in Lee's popularity for the final week of July were Lee's emergency response to the heat wave that gripped the country and strong stance against workplace accidents.
The upsurge was somewhat offset by the public disappointment about the proposed tax code changes, aimed mainly at stock investors, according to Realmeter. Of all respondents, 31.4 percent disapproved of Lee's job performance in the fifth week of July, down 1.6 percentage points.
Lee's approval rating has now stayed above 60 percent mark for five straight weeks, according to Realmeter's estimate.
On Friday, another analytics firm Gallup Korea's survey for the fifth week of July showed Friday similar uptrend, in which Lee's popularity climbed up 1 percentage point to 64 percent.
Meanwhile, Realmeter polls also showed Monday that the support rating for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea had surged 3.7 percentage points to 54.5 percent.
Realmeter estimated that the surge in popularity was attributable to the president's "stable management of state affairs," coupled with the "spillover effect" caused by the special counsel's probe into Lee's conservative predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee. The main opposition People Power Party saw its support rating decline by 1.8 percentage points to 27.2 percent in the final week of July.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Korea Herald
AI fintech startup BankX joins Silicon Valley's Plug and Play accelerator to expand AI retail platform
South Korean fintech startup BankX said Tuesday that it has been selected to join the official program at Plug and Play Tech Center, one of Silicon Valley's most influential startup accelerators. Known for nurturing global unicorns such as Google, PayPal, Dropbox and N26, Plug and Play offers early-stage startups high-level exposure to investors and corporate partners worldwide. BankX was also recently selected for the Global Market Expansion Program organized by Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups. By joining Plug and Play, BankX has entered the official Playbook, a global directory shared with major investors and partners. BankX's core product, PlayPlanet, is a location-based artificial intelligence platform that helps users compare real-time promotions and credit card benefits at offline stores. The app recommends the most advantageous payment method using AI, while also supporting merchants with real-time marketing tools and customer insights. Currently, BankX is conducting proof-of-concept testing with US retailers and plans to expand through partnerships with retail point-of-sale system providers, which manage payment processing at checkout counters. The company aims to build an AI-driven retail marketing ecosystem that connects consumers, merchants and local economies. "We are seeing positive responses from our PoC tests in the US," said BankX CEO Ethan Kim. "We will refine our technology to fit the local market and use this momentum to reshape consumer behavior and retail structures.'
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Hanwha Life brings back dual CEOs for AI, global push
Hanwha Life Insurance's new co-CEOs, Vice Chair Kwon Hyeuk-woong and President Lee Kyung-keun, officially took office on Tuesday, reinstating a dual leadership structure for the first time in six years. Their appointments were approved at a temporary shareholders' meeting and board session held the same day. The top executives will lead the Korean insurer with independent representation rights. In a letter to employees, Kwon and Lee set a vision to transform Hanwha Life into a 'life solutions partner,' offering services that go beyond traditional insurance and are tailored to each stage of a customer's life. To achieve this, the new CEOs emphasized the need to strengthen artificial intelligence capabilities, calling AI essential for navigating the tech-driven transformation of the financial sector. 'As AI accelerates the arrival of a hyper-personalized era, the insurance industry must also deliver individualized solutions based on a deep understanding of each customer's life,' they said. The two leaders also stressed their commitment to expanding Hanwha Life's global business. 'We will continue pursuing our vision of becoming a global, comprehensive financial group; advancing our business in East Asia, including Indonesia, where we have established a full-service financial system; and expanding our presence in the US, where we've entered the brokerage sector,' they said. This year, Hanwha Life made a strategic investment in Indonesia's Nobu Bank and acquired a controlling stake in US brokerage firm Velocity Clearing. Both deals mark milestones for both the company and the Korean insurance industry as a whole. On Tuesday, the co-CEOs visited all 30 floors of the company's headquarters in Seoul's Yeouido district, greeting and encouraging the firm's 1,800 employees. The leadership change follows the departure of former CEO Yeo Seung-joo, who is moving to Hanwha Group to head its management support division. The dual CEO structure returns after its suspension in 2019, when Yeo became the sole CEO. Kwon, formerly CEO of Hanwha Ocean, is expected to oversee overall operations, while Lee, previously CEO of Hanwha Life Financial Services — a wholly owned subsidiary responsible for the firm's sales force — will focus on insurance strategy and core business development.
Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Ruling party lawmaker accused of trading stocks under someone else's name
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party of Korea launched an internal probe Tuesday after a senior lawmaker was photographed appearing to trade stocks under someone else's name during a parliamentary session. This sparked speculations that the lawmaker might have failed to fulfill his duty to declare assets as a public official. Local media published an image showing Rep. Lee Choon-suak, chair of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, using his phone to access trading windows for Naver and LG CNS shares. The account name did not match his, prompting allegations of borrowed-name trading. Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party said he would file a criminal complaint, accusing Lee of violating the Real-Name Financial Transactions Act and the Public Service Ethics Act. 'Borrowed-name stock trading is a serious crime that exploits retail investors,' Joo said, adding that omitting such assets from mandatory disclosures could call Lee's qualifications into question. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee is considered one of the most influential in South Korea's Assembly, serving as the final gatekeeper for bills heading to a plenary vote at regular sessions. The Democratic Party's ethics oversight panel will lead the internal inquiry.
