Ballot shortage scandal cuts Lee Jae-myung approval to 57%
New polling shows the ruling party fell to 41%, while the main opposition rose to 25% after the June 3 local vote.
Public approval of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung fell to 57% after a ballot shortage scandal in the June 3 local elections. A National Barometer Survey released Thursday showed a nine-point drop from 66% in the second half of May, while negative ratings rose to 33%. Support for the Democratic Party of Korea also fell four points to 41%, while the People Power Party gained five points to 25%. According to the National Election Commission, voting was briefly suspended at 26 polling places, mainly in Songpa District, Seoul. The incident led to the resignation of NEC chief Rho Tae-ak, protests calling for the election to be rerun, and a search of the NEC office as part of an investigation into alleged election law violations and administrative negligence.