President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a government meeting on fostering innovative companies in the defense and security sectors at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap) President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell for a sixth consecutive week to 46.5 percent, remaining below the 50 percent mark for the second straight week, according to a Realmeter poll released Monday.The survey, conducted by Realmeter from June 22-26 among 2,502 eligible voters aged 18 and older, put Lee's job approval rating at 46.5 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous week. Negative assessments of his performance also edged down 0.2 percentage points to 49.5 percent, while 4 percent of respondents said they were unsure.Lee's approval rating has been on a steadily decline from 60.5 percent in the second week of May, to 59.3 percent in the third week of May, 59.1 percent in the fourth week of May, 55.2 percent in the first week of June, 51.5 percent in the second week of June, 46.7 percent in the third week of June, and 46.5 percent in the fourth week of June.Realmeter attributed the continued decline to the lingering controversy over the National Election Commission's mishandling of ballots during the June 3 local elections, coupled with growing public concerns over the economy, including a weak won, persistent inflation and instability in the housing market.The pollster also cited political disputes over the government's plan to abolish prosecutors' authority to conduct supplementary investigations, as well as the controversy surrounding proposed semiconductor investments in the Honam region, as factors weighing on Lee's approval rating.Regionally, Lee's approval rating fell 4.3 percentage points in the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang region and 1.7 percentage points in Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces. By age group, support declined 1.7 percentage points among respondents aged 70 and older, 1.3 percentage points among those in their 40s, and 1.1 percentage points among those in their 60s.In a separate party preference survey conducted June 25-26 among 1,002 eligible voters aged 18 and older, support for the main opposition People Power Party slipped 0.3 percentage points from the previous week to 42 percent, while support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose 0.9 percentage points to 41 percent, narrowing the gap between the two parties to 1 percentage point.Support for the Rebuilding Korea Party stood at 3.7 percent, followed by the Reform Party at 2.8 percent, and the Progressive Party at 1.5 percent. Other parties garnered 2.1 percent, while 6.9 percent of respondents identified as unaffiliated.Realmeter said support for the People Power Party weakened as internal conflict over party leader Jang Dong-hyeok prompted defections among moderate voters and those in Seoul and the Chungcheong region, though the losses were largely offset by stronger backing from conservative voters and the party's core supporters in the Yeongnam region.The pollster said the Democratic Party benefited from stronger support in Gwangju and the Jeolla region, as well as among voters in their 40s, amid debate over proposed semiconductor cluster investments in the Honam region.Both surveys were conducted using 100 percent wireless automated response system interviews. The presidential approval survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level, while the party preference survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.