President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose slightly this week after hitting a record low, a poll showed Friday. In a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,004 people aged 18 and older, 45 percent positively assessed Lee's management of state affairs, up 1 percentage point from a record low of 44 percent in the previous survey released last week. Lee's disapproval rating also stood at 45 percent, while 11 percent said they were undecided. The pollster did not provide a reason for the increase in his approval rating, though diplomacy was the most frequently cited reason for the positive evaluation at 19 percent, followed by the economy and people's livelihoods at 11 percent, and overall performance and communication at 7 percent each. Among those who disapproved of his performance, 28 percent pointed to his real estate policies, followed by concerns over the economy and people's livelihoods at 12 percent and defense, security and North Korea-related policies at 7 percent. The pollster said the increase in the number of respondents citing defense appeared to