South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has hit a record approval rating of 65.5%, according to a Realmeter poll published Monday, surpassing his previous high of 64.6% set in July last year. The surge, up 3.6 percentage points from the prior survey, was attributed to strong performance on economic and energy security fronts — including securing crude oil supplies amid Middle East tensions and a recovery in the KOSPI (South Korea's main stock index) to the 6,200-point level. Lee's outspoken stance on the treatment of Palestinians and his attendance at a commemoration of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, in which more than 300 people died, also broadened his support among moderates and younger voters.