Lee's bungled personnel picks hold back his agenda

President Lee Jae Myung is struggling to regain momentum in Seoul as a Cabinet reshuffle meant to reset his second year has been derailed by personnel controversies. Rep. Yong Hye-in resigned Sunday after two weeks of backlash, while Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won is set for a confirmation hearing Tuesday. Lee’s approval rating fell to 33.8 percent in a Realmeter poll, its ninth straight weekly decline.

Yong Hye-in stepped down Sunday after two weeks of controversy as minister of gender equality and family nominee.

Kim Seung-won, a two-term lawmaker, faces allegations that he used his influence to help a company win approval for a COVID-19 drug clinical trial in 2021.

The latest Realmeter poll on Monday put Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating at 33.8 percent, down 3.6 percentage points from the previous week, while his disapproval rating rose to 63.3 percent.

Published Sep 14, 2026 3:28 pm KST

Updated Sep 14, 2026 6:51 pm KST

Ruling camp divisions, Hormuz dilemma add to erosion of support

President Lee Jae Myung prepares to take his seat during a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung is facing difficulty in regaining momentum in state affairs, as a Cabinet reshuffle intended to give his administration a fresh start in its second year has instead backfired amid a series of controversies.

Rep. Yong Hye-in, nominated as minister of gender equality and family by Lee, stepped down Sunday after two weeks at the center of controversy, removing one immediate source of trouble but doing little to resolve broader questions about the administration's personnel choices.

Her nomination renewed questions about the influence of Kim Hyun-ji, Lee's longtime aide and first deputy chief of staff, over personnel choices and state affairs — questions that have persisted since Lee took office in June 2025.

The presidential office has rejected speculation about Kim's involvement, but Yong's nomination has drawn criticism of the administration's personnel vetting process.

Another disputed pick, Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, is set to proceed with his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, indicating implicit backing from Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

Kim, a two-term lawmaker, faces allegations that he used his influence to help a company win approval for a COVID-19 drug clinical trial in 2021. The controversy intensified after audio files emerged suggesting that he had been in contact with a broker connected to the company.

All these developments come as Lee struggles with falling approval ratings and public dissatisfaction over domestic issues, including real estate policies, controversial financial products and personnel appointments.

Adding to his difficulties is the politically sensitive question of whether Korea should make a military contribution to the U.S.-led mission in the Strait of Hormuz as part of the country's war with Iran — a decision that could further test his public support.

The situation recalls former President Roh Moo-hyun's decision to send additional troops to Iraq in 2003 despite strong opposition from his progressive support base.

Roh’s approval rating fell afterward, although the troop deployment was not the only factor behind the decline.

“The Cabinet reshuffle was supposed to give the Lee administration a chance to reset, but the controversies surrounding the nominees have largely wiped out that effect,” Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said.

“Instead of giving Lee fresh momentum, the personnel choices have created new trouble and could slow down his efforts to move his agenda forward,” the professor added.

The agenda includes follow-up measures for prosecution reform, with the relevant legislation set to take effect Oct. 2.

The ruling camp remains divided over how the reform should be implemented, adding to concerns over Lee’s weakening political support.

Lee weighed in on the dispute Friday, warning that radical rhetoric could provoke resistance and ultimately undermine reform. He said reform should be carried out carefully and with broad public support while stressing that he had never abandoned its goals.

The disagreement has also fueled friction between new DPK Chairman Kim Min-seok and Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae, also a DPK member.

Choo has openly criticized the administration's approach to prosecution reform, including its choice for the first head of the new serious crimes investigation agency, while Kim has pushed back against her criticism of Lee.

Lee's approval rating has been dropping to hit new lows for weeks, with the latest Realmeter poll release on Monday showing his approval rating falling 3.6 percentage points from the previous week to 33.8 percent.

It marks the ninth consecutive week of decline and the lowest level since he took office. His disapproval rating rose 3.8 percentage points to 63.3 percent.

The ruling DPK also lost ground, falling 5.7 percentage points to 36.1 percent, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) gained 4.5 percentage points to reach 42.1 percent.

The presidential approval survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level and a response rate of 4.5 percent.

The party support survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the same confidence level and a response rate of 3.6 percent.

More details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

由于人事争议，旨在重振李在明总统执政第二年势头的内阁改组计划受阻。在经历了两周的舆论压力后，议员容惠仁于周日辞职，而法务部长官提名人金承元将于周二接受确认听证。根据Realmeter的民调，李在明的支持率已跌至33.8%，连续第九周下滑。

在经历了两周的争议后，杨惠仁于周日辞去了性别平等和家庭部长的职务。

连任两届的国会议员金承元被指控利用其影响力帮助一家公司在 2021 年获得 COVID-19 药物临床试验的批准。

Realmeter周一公布的最新民调显示，李在明的支持率为33.8%，比前一周下降了3.6个百分点，而反对率则上升至63.3%。

发布于2026年9月14日下午3:28（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月14日韩国时间下午6:51

执政阵营内部的分裂以及霍尔木兹海峡的困境加剧了支持率的下降。

周五，韩国总统李在明在首尔青瓦台与高级幕僚会面，准备就座。（韩联社）

李在明总统在重振国家政局方面面临困难，旨在为执政第二年带来新气象的内阁改组，反而因一系列争议而适得其反。

李显龙提名的性别平等和家庭部长官杨惠仁在两周的争议之后于周日辞职，这消除了一个直接的麻烦来源，但对解决有关政府人事选择的更广泛问题却收效甚微。

她的提名再次引发了人们对李明博长期助手兼第一副幕僚长金贤智在人事选择和国家事务方面的影响的质疑——自李明博于 2025 年 6 月就任以来，这些质疑一直存在。

总统府否认了有关金正恩参与其中的猜测，但对杨永昌的提名引发了对政府人事审查程序的批评。

另一位备受争议的人选，法务部长提名人金承元，将于周二进行确认听证会，这表明青瓦台和执政的韩国共同民主党（DPK）给予了隐晦的支持。

连任两届的国会议员金某被指控利用其影响力帮助一家公司在2021年获得新冠肺炎药物临床试验的批准。此前有录音文件曝光，显示他曾与该公司的一名经纪人有过接触，这使得争议愈演愈烈。

所有这些事态发展都发生在李显龙支持率不断下降以及公众对国内问题（包括房地产政策、有争议的金融产品和人事任命）不满之际。

雪上加霜的是，韩国是否应该向美国领导的霍尔木兹海峡军事行动做出军事贡献，这是韩国与伊朗战争的一部分，也是一个政治敏感问题——这一决定可能会进一步考验他的公众支持率。

这种情况让人想起前总统卢武铉在2003年不顾其进步支持者的强烈反对，决定向伊拉克增派军队。

此后卢武铉的支持率有所下降，尽管军队部署并不是导致其支持率下降的唯一因素。

“内阁改组本应给李政府一个重新调整的机会，但围绕提名人的争议在很大程度上抵消了这一效果，”明知大学政治学教授申烈说。

这位教授补充说：“这些人事选择非但没有给李带来新的动力，反而造成了新的麻烦，并可能减缓他推进其议程的努力。”

议程包括检控改革的后续措施，相关立法将于10月2日生效。

执政阵营内部对于改革的实施方式仍存在分歧，这加剧了人们对李光耀政治支持度下降的担忧。

李显龙周五就这场争论发表了看法，他警告说，激进的言论可能会引发抵制，最终破坏改革。他表示，改革应该谨慎进行，并获得广泛的公众支持，同时强调他从未放弃改革的目标。

这一分歧也加剧了新任民主党主席金珉锡与同为民主党成员的京畿道知事秋美爱之间的摩擦。

秋美贤公开批评政府的检察改革方式，包括其对新成立的重案调查机构首任负责人的选择，而金正恩则反驳了她对李光耀的批评。

李的支持率已经连续数周跌至新低，周一发布的最新 Realmeter 民调显示，他的支持率比前一周下降了 3.6 个百分点，至 33.8%。

这是他连续第九周支持率下降，也是自上任以来的最低水平。他的反对率上升了3.8个百分点，达到63.3%。

执政的民主党（DPK）也失去了阵地，支持率下降了5.7个百分点，至36.1%，而主要反对党人民力量党（PPP）的支持率上升了4.5个百分点，达到42.1%。

总统支持率调查的误差幅度为正负 2 个百分点，置信水平为 95%，回复率为 4.5%。

政党支持率调查的误差幅度为正负 3.1 个百分点，置信水平相同，回复率为 3.6%。

更多详情请访问全国选举调查审议委员会网站。