President Lee Jae-myung reshuffled six ministries over the weekend in his first major cabinet overhaul [1].
The move comes as the administration faces mounting pressure to refresh its image and stabilize public support during a period of declining popularity.
According to a report by YTN, the reshuffle of six government departments [1] occurred between Saturday and Sunday. The restructuring is viewed as an attempt to revitalize the government's atmosphere and recover falling approval ratings [1].
Concurrent with the personnel changes, new polling data indicates a significant dip in public confidence. YTN reported that President Lee's approval rating has remained in the 30% range [1] for the first time since his inauguration. This represents a further decline from earlier reports in August, where MSN noted approval ratings had dropped to the mid-40% range [2].
"Over the weekend, while President Lee Jae-myung carried out a reshuffle of six ministries, another poll result came out showing the President's state administration support rating recorded the 30% range for the first time since inauguration," Park Seok-won said [1].
The administration has not yet detailed the specific criteria used to select the new ministry heads. However, the scale of the reshuffle suggests a broad effort to pivot policy directions or address specific failures within the executive branch. The timing of the announcement, coinciding with the lowest recorded approval levels, underscores the urgency of the political situation in Seoul.
“President Lee Jae-myung reshuffled six ministries over the weekend in his first major cabinet overhaul.”
The simultaneous cabinet reshuffle and drop in approval ratings suggest a presidency in a defensive posture. By replacing leadership across six ministries, President Lee is attempting a structural reset to break a downward trend in public support. The shift from the mid-40% range earlier this month to the 30% range indicates a rapid erosion of confidence that a simple personnel change may not fully resolve without accompanying policy shifts.
