Seoul, Dec 5 (IANS): South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating rose to 38.9 per cent amid the government's stern response to an ongoing strike by unionised truck drivers, a poll showed Monday.

Positive assessment of Yoon's performance climbed 2.5 percentage points from the previous week, posting an increase for the second consecutive week in a Realmeter poll, while negative assessment slid by 1.9 percentage points to 58.9 per cent, Yonhap news agency reported.

The poll was conducted on 2,507 people nationwide from Monday to Friday last week.

This is the first time in five months Yoon's approval rating surpassed the 37 per cent mark and Yoon's disapproval rating went below 60 per cent.

Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at Realmeter, cited the government's stern response to the strike by members of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union as part of the reason for Yoon's rising support rating.

"President Yoon's decision to respond in principle with a return-to-work order amid economic crisis seems to have worked as momentum for the increase in positive assessment," Bae said.

The suspension of Yoon's routine Q&As with the press is another part of the rise in the approval rating as the move prevented unnecessary controversies, Bae noted.

Yoon indefinitely suspended doorstepping with the press as of November 21 following a quarrel between one of his aides and a reporter from national broadcaster MBC.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.