Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok addressed recent reports of declining approval ratings for President Lee Jae-myung on September 17, describing the movement as a temporary fluctuation. Speaking on the party’s YouTube channel, Kim framed the party’s immediate task as supporting the president as the administration moves from its first year toward its second.
His remarks were a political response to polling coverage, not an independent explanation of why approval has changed. Different surveys can produce different results depending on field dates, sample design and question wording, and the reporting cited by Korean media referred broadly to several recent polls rather than a single measurement. Kim’s comments therefore show how the governing party is interpreting the trend rather than establishing its cause.
The statement is useful mainly as a signal of party strategy. Instead of distancing itself from the administration during a weaker polling period, the Democratic Party leadership is emphasizing unity and continuity. How that approach develops will be visible in the party’s response to upcoming policy debates and the president’s public messaging, rather than in any one approval-rating number.