Political Representation 2006
More than 60 percent of the public supports a free trade agreement with the United States, according to a recent public poll conducted by Joong Ang Ilbo, the East Asia Institute and Hankook Research.
Supporters of both the governing and the major opposition parties voiced support for a deal with the United States, an issue that has stirred up controversy in Korea recently.
However, most supporters of the far-left Democratic Labor Party disapprove of a free trade agreement.
The poll, held April 19 and 20, first asked 1,000 citizens nationwide over the age of 19 which party they support. They were then asked their views on a number of controversial issues, to see if the parties' positions were in line with their supporters' views.
The poll showed discord in some controversial issues between the party and its supporters. Many of the people polled also agreed on several controversial issues, regardless of their party affiliation. Some political analysts said the poll results show that political parties are stirring up the controversies for political benefit.
One example was the linking of North Korean aid to the North Korean nuclear issue. The Uri Party is against the idea of linking the two issues, but more than 75 percent of the respondents who identified themselves as Uri supporters said they support tying the issues together.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.