Lee Sang-min, the minister of the interior and safety who is cited as one of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s closest aides, spoke on the president’s approval ratings, which recently plunged, and said, “I have no doubt that after some time, when we start seeing outcomes, they will fly extremely high.”

In an interview with Yonhap News released on July 14, Minister Lee said, “The president is not preoccupied with his popularity and puts law and principles before public sentiment, so his approval ratings could drop temporarily,” and added, “Eventually, his sincerity will reach every corner and when our various policies ripen somewhat, his approval ratings will soon bounce back up.”

The interior minister also spoke about the presidential appointments in the incumbent government and asked, “How can the appointments be 100% perfect all the time?”

Minister Lee is a few years younger than the president, and he graduated from Choongam High School in Seoul and the College of Law at Seoul National University--President Yoon’s alma maters. Lee was cited as one of President Yoon’s closest aides since he was nominated as the interior minister. However, Lee said, “I see the president often since there are many official events, but I don’t see him personally.”