S. Korean president's approval rating rises on thaw in inter-Korean relations

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating rose this week amid rising signs of a thaw in inter-Korean relations, a survey showed Friday.

According to the Gallup Korea poll, support for Moon was 72 percent this week, up 2 percentage points from the previous week.

It was based on a poll of 1,007 voters conducted from Tuesday to Thursday. It had 3.1 percentage points in margin of error with a 95-percent confidence level.

The rise in support scores came amid growing signs of improved inter-Korean relations following the agreement between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to hold high-level talks next week.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year's Day address that his country was willing to participate in the South Korea-hosted Winter Olympics and to talk with Seoul about it.

South Korea offered to hold the senior-level dialogue with the DPRK on Jan. 9 in the truce village of Panmunjom, and Pyongyang accepted the dialogue overture early Friday.

President Moon agreed Thursday night with U.S. President Donald Trump that South Korea and the United States would not conduct the springtime joint military exercises between the two allies during the Winter Olympic period.

Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party advanced 4 percentage points over the week to 48 percent this week.

It was followed by the main opposition Liberty Korea Party with 10 percent, down 2 percentage points from a week ago.

The centrist People's Party earned 7 percent in support scores, followed by the minor conservative Righteous Party with 5 percent and the minor progressive Justice Party with 4 percent. Enditem