President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell to 38 percent, its lowest level since his inauguration one year and three months ago, in a Gallup Korea mobile-phone survey conducted from Tuesday to Thursday. The result was down 2 percentage points from the previous week, while 51 percent viewed his performance negatively and 11 percent gave no opinion. Lee's approval had remained above 60 percent in early May, reached 54 percent in the first week of July and then declined 26 percentage points in 10 weeks. He reached the 30-percent range earlier than former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in, whose ratings first fell to 37 percent and 39 percent, respectively, later in their presidencies. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung attributed the decline to political factors and policy issues, including real estate and the stock market, and said the presidential office would work to restore public trust. Lee is likely to hold a press conference this week addressing the issues. Personnel controversies have become the most immediate concern: respondents cited real estate policy, government appointments, and the economy and livelihoods as the leading reasons for their negative assessments. Controversies involving Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in, who withdrew her nomination on Sept. 13, intensified in succession. A majority of respondents considered Kim unsuitable, while the presidential office said nominees should be allowed to explain themselves at confirmation hearings. Housing pressure has also weakened support, with Seoul apartment prices rising for 86 consecutive weeks. Lee's approval among people in their 40s fell from 55 percent to 45 percent, while his support in Seoul was 29 percent, below the 34 percent recorded in Daegu and North Gyeongsang. Legal controversies, including a proposed special counsel bill that critics say could enable prosecutors to withdraw cases against Lee, may also have alienated centrist voters. Debate over constitutional reform allowing presidential re-election has added to uncertainty because Lee has not explicitly ruled out seeking another term, although he said his current term is clearly limited under the Constitution. Other unresolved matters include whether to deploy Korean forces to the Strait of Hormuz, the planned abolition of the Prosecutors' Office and police reform. In the Gallup Korea poll, 55 percent opposed sending military personnel or assets to the Strait of Hormuz, while 32 percent supported it. Prosecutorial reform remains contested after Lee instructed the Justice Ministry to revise plans for the Prosecution Service and affiliated agencies, including proposals for a Judicial Control Bureau and maintaining the current number of prosecutors. The next press conference could either give Lee an opportunity to recover or deepen the decline, depending on his diagnosis and proposed solutions. Within the ruling bloc, the 30-percent level is viewed as a critical threshold, while a potential decoupling between the president's rating and the ruling party's rating could weaken his ability to advance the administration's agenda in his second year.