Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has risen for the second consecutive week, reaching 48.9 percent, largely due to favorable public perception of his recent diplomatic engagements, as revealed by a poll on Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the survey conducted by Realmeter, commissioned by the EKN newspaper, indicates that Lee's approval rating increased by 1.9 percentage points from the previous week. Concurrently, the negative assessment of his performance decreased by 1.5 percentage points, settling at 47.7 percent. Realmeter attributed this positive trend to Lee's successful diplomatic and security initiatives, highlighted by his participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and several bilateral meetings. These engagements have reportedly strengthened South Korea's defense cooperation with NATO allies.

President Lee's attendance at the NATO summit on Tuesday and Wednesday marked his inaugural presence at the annual event since assuming office in June of the previous year. The survey, which sampled 2,515 adults over the course of five days, boasts a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points and a 95 percent confidence level.

In a related survey conducted by Realmeter on Thursday and Friday, the ruling Democratic Party's approval rating saw a 1.8 percentage point increase, reaching 44.8 percent. Conversely, the main opposition People Power Party experienced a decline, with its approval rating dropping 2.2 percentage points to 38.1 percent. This second poll involved 1,002 respondents aged 18 and older and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, maintaining a confidence level of 95 percent.