President Park Geun-hye’s approval rating dropped to 41 percent this week, a poll showed Friday, suggesting public unease over reports of collusion between some of her aides.
Those who said they disapprove of Park’s performance accounted for 48 percent, according to the Gallup Korea survey conducted on 1,005 adults between Tuesday and Thursday.
Lack of communication was cited as the biggest reason for disapproval at 16 percent, followed by staff issues at 12 percent and economic policies at 9 percent, the survey showed.
Late last month, a local newspaper reported that a former aide to the president with no official title in the current government held regular meetings with presidential staff to exchange information on state affairs. In particular, the former aide was reported to have plotted to oust Park’s chief of staff, Kim Ki-choon.
The percentage of respondents who cited the scandal as the biggest factor in their negative assessment grew from 1 percent last week to 4 percent this week, the survey showed.
Lack of communication and staff issues also rose as key factors by 2 percentage points and 4 percentage points, respectively.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Park’s approval rating has fallen almost every week since the second week of November, when it stood at 45 percent. Her lowest-ever rating was 40 percent. (Yonhap)
