A Gallup Korea survey shows president-elect Park Geun-hye enjoying a 55-percent approval rating before she has started her job. That is higher than the 51.6 percent who elected her but significantly lower than her predecessors' support rating at the start of their term.

A poll at the start of Roh Moo-hyun's presidency in February 2003 showed an 86.6 percent approval rating, while President Lee Myung-bak's was 84.7 percent in January 2008.

Park had the highest approval rating of 69 percent among people in their 50s and 60s, and the next best rating of 52 percent among those in their 40s. Among those in their 20s, the rating was 47 percent and among those in their 30s 39 percent.

The main reasons people cited for supporting her were her willingness to live up to her campaign pledges (12 percent); her prudence (9 percent); unbiased appointments of key officials (8 percent) and trust (8 percent).

But negatives included: lack of communication with the public and too much secrecy (23 percent) and arbitrary selection of officials (16 percent).

The poll was conducted among 1,559 adults across the country between Jan. 14 to 18.