South Korea justice nominee withdraws in Lee's second cabinet setback as polls slide

South Korean President ​Lee Jae Myung's nominee for ​justice minister withdrew ‌from consideration on ​Saturday, the second of Lee's cabinet picks to step aside this month ‌as his approval ratings slump. Kim Seung-won's exit follows the withdrawal of Yong Hye-in as nominee for gender-equality minister on Sunday, ‌in the latest fallout from Lee's cabinet reshuffle in late ‌August.

Kim, who said he did not want to add any burden to Lee's administration, criticised a conservative lawmaker who had accused him of ⁠lobbying ​regulators over ⁠a drug trial and of financial irregularities. Kim has denied the allegations. "I ⁠gravely accept that I did not meet the public's expectations, and ​I will deeply reflect on my shortcomings," Kim told a ⁠press conference.

A Gallup Korea poll released on Friday put Lee's ⁠public approval ​at 37%, the lowest since he took office in June 2025, a decline pollsters have partly linked to ⁠criticism over his personnel appointments. At a press conference on Friday, Lee ⁠acknowledged shortcomings ⁠in his administration's screening of nominees. "We are currently working to reexamine our personnel system," the president ‌said.