Seoul, May 29 (IANS): South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has risen to 40 per cent in a Realmeter survey due in large part to positive public assessments of his handling of foreign affairs and national security issues.

In the survey conducted last week of 2,504 people, Yoon's approval rating rose 1 percentage point from a week earlier, while his disapproval rating fell 1.2 percentage point to 56.7 per cent during the same period, Yonhap news agency reported.

It is the first time in 12 weeks that his rating has reached the 40 per cent level.

The approval rating has been on a steady rise for five weeks since Yoon's summit with US President Joe Biden last month, rising from 32.6 per cent to 34.5 per cent, 34.6 per cent, 36.8 per cent, 39 per cent and 40 per cent, according to Realmeter.

"It is the first time since the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol government that his approval rating has risen for five consecutive weeks," Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at Realmeter, said.

The approval rating of the ruling People Power Party fell 0.4 percentage point to 38.1 per cent, while that of the main opposition Democratic Party rose 2.1 percentage points to 44.5 per cent, the survey showed.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.