Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating inched down slightly for the first time in three weeks to 66 percent, a poll showed Friday. The survey by Gallup Korea, conducted Tuesday through Thursday on 1,000 respondents aged 18 and over, showed that the positive assessment of Lee's overall performance fell 1 percentage point from the previous week.

According to Yonhap News Agency, in the previous survey, Lee's approval rating stood at 67 percent for the second consecutive week, marking the highest level since taking office. The negative assessment rose 2 percentage points to 26 percent, while 8 percent were undecided.

Lee's handling of the economy and people's livelihoods was cited most frequently as the reason for positive evaluation at 17 percent, followed by diplomacy at 14 percent and competence at 11 percent. Among the negative responses, 17 percent pointed to concerns over the economy and the high exchange rate, followed by diplomacy at 12 percent and excessive welfare policies at 9 percent.

The approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party remained unchanged at 48 percent, maintaining its highest level since the current administration took office for the third straight week. Support for the main opposition People Power Party fell 1 percentage point to 19 percent. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.