Koreans’ negative perceptions of China have deepened over the past year, driven less by temporary issues and more by entrenched concerns about Chinese society and its political systеm, a new survey shows.

The findings suggest that the Lee Jae-myung admіnistration will need a more nuanced approach to improving Seoul-Beijing ties if it hopes to gain public support.

An alarming 66.3 percent of respondents said they held an unfavorable view of China, according to a joint poll. That figure has increased from 63.8 percent in a similar survey last August.

The survey was jointly conducted by the JoongAng Ilbo and the East Asia Institute on June 4 and 5. The online poll, commissioned to Hankook Research, targeted 1,509 Korean adults aged 18 and over. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

The primary reason for the aversion? A majority, or 58.1 percent, cited “the nature and behavior of the Chinese people,” while 39.5 percent pointed to “China’s one-party communist rule” as their main concern.

These reasons now rank higher than previously cited causes, such as China’s "economic coercion," with 36.9 percent, or its "environmental impact" at 29.1 percent, including the origins of Covid-19 and fine dust pollution that flows into Korea.

Anti-China sentiment spans political and demographic boundaries.

Among respondents who identified as conservative, 70.5 percent said they had a negative view of China; among progressives, the figure was 63.8 percent. Men and women both leaned heavily negative at 67.7 percent and 64.8 percent, respectively.

However, the intensity of dislike varies by age. Younger generations are particularly critical: 80 percent of those aged 18–29 said they viewed China unfavorably, followed by 72.5 percent of those in their 40s and 70.2 percent of 30-somethings. A considerably lower 53.9 percent of those over 70 expressed a negative view.

Notably, younger and middle-aged respondents were more likely to cite Chinese people's attitudes and behaviors as their reason for disapproval. In contrast, over half, or 54.5 percent, of respondents aged 70 and older cited China’s one-party systеm.

While most South Koreans acknowledge China’s influence over North Korea, many question Beijing’s willingness to use that power constructively.

A significant 88.3 percent said China’s role is important in North Korea’s denuclearization, and 84.1 percent said it plays a role in Pyongyang’s military provocations.

Still, only 17.2 percent listed “policy cooperation on North Korea’s denuclearization” as a diplomatic priority in relations with China — a drop from 24.4 percent in a 2021 survey conducted ahead of the last presidential election.

The decline suggests growing disillusionment with Beijing's perceived inaction or reluctance to pressure Pyongyang.

China’s repeated vetoes of further UN sanctions against the hermit state, coupled with vague calls for “restraint from all parties” during North Korean provocations, appear to have fed public frustration. This has led to the belief that the argument for closer ties with China as a means of improving inter-Korean relations no longer enjoys broad public support.

When asked about the most concerning recent developments in China’s policy, 26.8 percent of respondents pointed to its “conflict with the United States.” The findings come as calls to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance grow louder, underscoring the strategic dilemma Seoul faces in balancing relations between Washington and Beijing.
Other top concerns included China’s “coercive diplomacy toward South Korea” at 19.5 percent and its “passive stance on North Korean provocations and the nuclear issue” with 16 percent.

The share of South Koreans who see China as a military threat rose sharply — from 63.7 percent last year to 70.5 percent this year. While North Korea remains the top perceived threat, cited by 90 percent of respondents, concern over China is rising more rapidly.

This shift spans ideological lines: 65.8 percent of progressives and 80 percent of conservatives now view China as a military threat.

China’s unilateral actions in the Yellow Sea — such as erecting structures in the Provisional Measures Zone and declaring navigation bans under the pretext of military drills — are widely seen as provocations.

Interestingly, public pessimism about China does not translate into fatalism about bilateral relations. Some 68.4 percent of respondents said they believe Korea-China relations will improve under the Lee admіnistration. That includes 79.4 percent of progressives and 66.4 percent of conservatives.

“South Koreans’ perceptions of China are based on fundamental, structural resentment that won’t easily change,” said Lee Dong-ryul, a professor of Chinese studies at Dongduk Women’s University.

“Given the inevitability of cooperation on the economy and North Korea, the new government faces a tough task of navigating diplomacy with an ‘unlikable China’ while staying attuned to domestic sentiment.”