President Park Geun-hye's job approval rating has edged up as the public supported her recent decision to designate Friday as a temporary holiday. A new poll conducted by polling agency Realmeter put Park's approval rating at 39.5 percent, up 4.6 percentage points from a week earlier. It said the uptick in Park's approval rating came as the government designated Friday as a temporary holiday to boost the spirits of South Koreans ahead of Liberation Day. Liberation Day, which falls on Saturday, marks the 70th anniversary of Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. The government has also said all expressways will be toll-free on Friday. Those who disapproved of Park's job performance came to 54 percent, down 4.5 percentage points from a week earlier. The survey was conducted on 2,500 adults between Aug. 3 and Aug. 7 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.0 percentage points. (Yonhap) |