The drop apparently stems from growing doubts about his income-led growth policy. Job creation in the first five months of the year was the lowest since 2009. Consumer sentiment for June dropped sharply to a 14-month low, data showed. Moon replaced his senior aides for the economy and job creation Tuesday.

Conservatives are also critical of the decision by South Korea and the United States to suspend regular military exercises, announced last week, amid nuclear talks with North Korea. They are concerned that the suspension may weaken the alliance and deterrence against the North.

The drop was also attributed to the government decision to present the highest medal of honor to Kim Jong-pil, a conservative politician who died Saturday. He played a key role in former leader Park Chung-hee’s military coup in 1961, founded the draconian Korean Central Intelligence Agency and was a power broker during his 30-year political career.

The support rating of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea also fell 5.8 percentage points from the same period last week, while that of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party gained 0.9 percentage point to 18.3 percent.

The support rating of the liberal Justice Party came to 10.1 percent, surging 2.2 percentage points over the cited period and breaching the 10 percent mark for the first time in its history, according to Realmeter.

The minor opposition Bareunmirae Party’s rating inched up 0.1 percentage point to 5.3 percent, with that of the Party for Democracy and Peace shedding 0.7 point to 2.3 percent. (Yonhap)