SEOUL — President Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating has maintained its record high of 67%, according to the latest public opinion poll released on Thursday. This figure matches the highest level of support recorded since his inauguration, signaling robust public confidence in the current administration’s trajectory.

National Barometer Survey (NBS) Results
The National Barometer Survey (NBS), conducted from March 9 to 11 by four major polling agencies—Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research—surveyed 1,002 adults nationwide aged 18 and older.

The results, published on March 12, 2026, show that 67% of respondents approve of President Lee’s performance in office, holding steady from the previous survey conducted two weeks prior. Conversely, negative evaluations dropped by 1 percentage point to 24%, further widening the gap between supporters and critics.

The high approval rating comes amidst a series of high-profile executive actions, including the "Dialogue with Entrepreneurs for Shared Growth" held at the Blue House on March 10. During the event, President Lee emphasized the importance of corporate social responsibility and collaborative economic frameworks, a move that analysts suggest has resonated well with both the business community and the general public.

Party Support and Political Landscape
The political landscape remains heavily tilted toward the ruling party. According to the data:

Democratic Party (DP): 43% (a 2 percentage point decrease from the previous poll)
People Power Party (PPP): 17% (unchanged)
Despite the slight dip for the Democratic Party, the gap between the two major political entities remains substantial at 26 percentage points. The stagnation of the People Power Party’s numbers suggests that the main opposition is struggling to regain momentum or present a compelling alternative to the current administration's platform.

Sentiment Toward Upcoming Local Elections
With local elections on the horizon, the survey also gauged the public's "election frame" preference. The results indicate a strong lean toward administrative stability:

Support for the Ruling Party: 50% of respondents agreed that "power should be given to the ruling party to ensure government stability."
Support for the Opposition: 27% felt that "power should be given to the opposition to provide checks and balances."
This 23-percentage-point difference suggests a prevailing public mood that favors the continuation and solidification of President Lee’s policy initiatives over political confrontation or legislative gridlock.

Technological Leadership: A National Pride
The report also highlighted South Korea's burgeoning influence in the global tech sector as a factor contributing to the positive national mood. Specifically, the Korean AI firm Sagak announced that its research paper was accepted for AAAI 2026, one of the world’s most prestigious artificial intelligence conferences. This achievement is being hailed as proof of Korea’s "super-gap" (chogyeokcha) technological prowess in the global AI race, aligning with the administration's "AI-First" economic strategy.

Survey Methodology
The NBS was conducted via telephone interviews using 100% virtual mobile numbers.

Margin of Error: ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Response Rate: 17.3%.
For more detailed information, please refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]