South Korea’s Lee accepts resignation of policy adviser following Cabinet reshuffle

SEOUL - South Korea’s chief presidential policy adviser has resigned, the presidential Blue House said on Sept 1, 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 Sept 1, the presidential office’s spokesperson said.The announcement follows a Cabinet reshuffle announced on Aug 30, 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 per cent, a Realmeter poll released on Aug 31 showed, marking its first drop into the 30 per cent range since he took office in June 2025.The pollster said concerns over housing prices and rental costs had weighed on public sentiment. REUTERS