SEOUL, Sept 1 (Reuters) – South Korea’s chief presidential policy adviser has resigned, the presidential Blue House said on Tuesday, after President Lee Jae Myung reshuffled his cabinet and senior aides amid a drop in his approval rating.
Kim Yong-beom was a key adviser to Lee on economic policy, including on housing and stock market issues.
President Lee had accepted Kim’s resignation on Tuesday, the presidential office’s spokesperson said.
The announcement follows a cabinet reshuffle announced on Sunday, in which Lee’s office named six new ministers including replacements for the economy and finance minister and the land minister, as well as new presidential aides. Lee also named a new trade minister in late August.
Lee’s approval rating fell 1.3 percentage points to 38.9%, a Realmeter poll released on Monday showed, marking its first drop into the 30% range since he took office in June last year.
The pollster said concerns over housing prices and rental costs had weighed on public sentiment.
(Reporting by Joyce LeeEditing by Ed Davies)
