President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (unseen in the photo) during their talks at the presidential office in Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps

The approval ratings of President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) hit all-time lows, a poll showed Monday, reflecting broad dissatisfaction with the ruling bloc's policies.

The survey, conducted by Realmeter and commissioned by a Korean news outlet, showed Yoon's approval rating fell to 25.8 percent, down 4.5 percentage points from the previous week. The negative assessment of his performance topped 70 percent for the first time since his inauguration in May 2022.

The ruling PPP's approval rating dropped to 29.9 percent, down 5.3 percentage points from a week ago, marking the lowest level since Yoon's inauguration. It was the first time that the party's approval rating fell below 30 percent.

Compared to the PPP, the approval rating for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) increased by 4 percentage points to reach 43.2 percent.

Several factors contributed to the widespread dissatisfaction with the government, including Yoon's dinner meeting with the PPP leadership, which concluded without any meaningful discussions on pressing issues like medical reforms.

Other issues, such as the growing factional row between pro-Yoon lawmakers and those aligned with PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee interfered with the ruling party's candidate nominations ahead of the April general elections, also affected the approval ratings, according to political analysts.

Experts said the public's approval of Yoon and the PPP has worsened compared to April, when the ruling party suffered a major setback by taking only 108 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly in the general elections.

"Polls continue to show Yoon and the ruling party's approval ratings are in poor shape. The public's patience has run out. Yoon is already looking like a lame duck," Park Chang-hwan, political commentator and professor at Jangan University, said.

"It is becoming increasingly evident that he has limited power to pursue the legislative changes or reforms he advocates, as his stubbornness prevents him from engaging in negotiations with the ruling party."

Park was referring to the discord between the PPP leader and the government regarding the issue of increasing medical school quotas, which has sparked months of protests from doctors and disruptions in medical services. Han suggested initiating talks with the medical community about potential changes to the quota for the 2025 school year, while both the government and the president remain firm in their stance, asserting that the plan for next year cannot be retracted.

Yoon's record-low approval rating likely means he will face significant challenges in carrying out the medical reforms and other major initiatives, especially when the opposition controls the Assembly.

Rep. Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), speaks during a party Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. On the left is Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the DPK. Yonhap

The DPK has been advocating for a special probe bill concerning allegations that the first lady was involved in manipulating the stock prices of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealership in Korea, between 2009 and 2012. Additionally, she is accused of illegally receiving a luxury bag in 2022 and interfering with candidate nominations for the ruling party ahead of the general elections.

Yoon is expected to exercise his veto power over the special counsel investigation bill concerning his wife, as well as other bills on politically contentious issues. This includes a proposal for a special counsel probe into the presidential office, which the DPK is advocating for regarding cash handouts to all citizens.

"Yoon's continued veto will likely create a polarized political climate and deepen confrontation with the opposition. The DPK has done literally everything it can at the Assembly, including unilaterally passing controversial bills and holding public hearings," Park said.

"If the bills fail to pass a parliamentary revote, the DPK may consider staging a protest outside the political arena," he added.