Lee Apologizes, Rules Out Re-Election Bid as Approval Hits Record Low 37%

At a Blue House press conference, President Lee Jae-myung apologized to the public over housing policy, Cabinet appointment controversies and an ETF-related dispute, saying "I would like to begin by expressing my apologies to the people who continue to struggle through their daily lives in difficult circumstances," and vowed to be more humble. He also said he has no intention of seeking re-election. The statement came as a new Gallup Korea poll put his approval at 37% — a fourth consecutive weekly decline and a new low since his June 2025 inauguration — with disapproval up 5 points to 56%, the widest gap of his presidency. Pollsters cited accumulating discontent over housing affordability and personnel appointments plus growing economic pessimism, just five months after his approval peaked.