President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating fell last week for the first time in almost a month, slipping to 53.1 percent, while support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) also declined after four straight weeks of gains — a shift that has prompted fresh questions about what is driving the slide. Despite the administration’s emphasis on diplomatic gains from Lee’s recent visits to China and Japan, analysts said concerns about a weakening won against the U.S. dollar and younger voters’ perceptions of fairness in ongoing political controversies have weighed heavily on support, particularly among people in their 20s. A survey conducted by Realmeter last week found that 53.1 percent approved of Lee’s job performance, down 3.7 percentage points from the previous week. The disapproval rate rose 4.4 points to 42.2 percent, while 4.8 percent remained undecided. Approval ratings declined across all regions and age groups, with the steepest drop seen in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province — a traditional conservative stronghold — where positive assessments of Lee’s per