Lee's approval rating rises for 4th consecutive week: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose to 58.2 percent last week, a survey showed Monday, amid a strong stock rally and the government's efforts to stabilize the housing market. The rating was up 1.7 percentage points from the previous week, while the negative assessment fell 1.7 percentage points to 37.2 percent, according to the survey by Realmeter, commissioned by a local business news outlet. Realmeter attributed the increase to Lee's push to rein in home prices through measures such as ending an exemption from the heavy capital gains tax for owners of multiple homes, as well as the KOSPI index topping the 5,800-point milestone. In recent weeks, Lee has repeatedly urged owners of multiple homes to sell their properties ahead of the planned expiration of the heavy capital gains tax exemptions, which are set to expire in May. The survey was conducted on 1,000 adults from Monday to Friday last week and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, with a confidence level of 95 percent. In a separate survey conducted by the same pollster on 1,000 individuals aged 1