Editor's Note

In celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the ROK-US alliance, East Asia Institute (EAI) conducted a public opinion poll to assess the Korean people`s perceptions of the United States and the ROK-US alliance. EAI presents the survey results in chart form in the `EAI Public Opinion Briefing.` While many respondents acknowledged the historical benefits of the ROK-US alliance to Korea`s development in the areas of security, economy, and politics over the past 70 years, they expressed reserved outlooks on the current state and future progress of the alliance. Furthermore, the survey results revealed complex viewpoints regarding the role and scope of the alliance, South Korea`s contribution to it, and the extended deterrence provided by the United States.

2023 EAI Public Opinion Poll on International Affairs

Target

Adults aged 18 and over

Region

Regions throughout South Korea

Sampling Methods

Proportional allocation by gender, age, region, and random sampling (Resident registration population data presented by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, July 2023)

Valid Sample Size

1,008

Survey Methods

Face-to-face Interviews (Personal Interview: PI)

Time Period

2023. 8. 25. ~ 2023. 9. 13.

Survey Agency

Hankook Research Co. Ltd.

Composition of Respondents

[Gender]
Male 49.8%; Female 50.2%

[Education]
Middle School Graduate and Under: 14.8%
High School Graduate: 38.6%
Junior College Graduate and Over: 46.6%

[Age]
Under 20: 1.4%
20 to 29: 14.9%
30 to 39: 14.7%
40 to 49: 18.0%
50 to 59: 19.9%
Over 60: 31.2%

 

[Threat to South Korea] What is the most serious threat that South Korea is facing? [Up to 2 responses]

[Foreign Policy Priority] What is the top priority in ROK’s foreign policy? [Up to 2 responses]

[ROK’s Diplomatic Relations] What is the most important diplomatic relations for the South Korean government? [Up to 2 responses]

[Visit to the United States] Have you ever visited the United States?

[Public Opinion on the United States] What is your impression of the United States?

[Reasons for Favorable Impressions] Why do you have a favorable impression of the United States? [Up to 2 responses]

[Reasons for Unfavorable Impressions] Why do you have an unfavorable impression of the United States? [Up to 2 responses]

[Public Opinion on the US President] What is your impression of Joe Biden, President of the United States?

[Current ROK-US Relations] What do you think current relations between Korea and the United States are like?

[Importance of the ROK-US Relations] Currently, how important are the ROK-US relations to Korea?

[Future of the ROK-US Relations] How do you envision the future relations between Korea and the United States?

[ROK-US Economic Relations] How would you define the economic relationship between Korea and the United States?

[Assessment of ROK-US Alliance] Do you agree with the following statements, or not?

1) The ROK-US alliance has been beneficial to South Korea's security.
2) The ROK-US alliance has been beneficial to South Korea's economic development.
3) The ROK-US alliance has been beneficial to South Korea's development of democracy.

[Opinion on the ROK-US Alliance] Following are some prominent disputes regarding ROK-US alliance. What is your opinion about these disputes?

1) Due to the ROK-US alliance, South Korea may become entangled in regional disputes irrelevant to its national interests.

2) The ROK-US alliance guarantees South Korea’s security against pressure or potential attacks from China.

3) Given the relative decline of the United States compared to China, the significance of the ROK-US alliance is diminishing.

[한미동맹에 대한 의견] Do you agree with the following statement, or not?
"The ROK-US alliance should work to address regional and global issues, extending its scope beyond merely responding to the DPRK military threat."

[South Korea’s Role in the ROK-US Alliance] Considering the future vision of the ROK-US alliance, Do you support South Korea playing a role in the following regional and global issues?

1) Addressing global challenges like nonproliferation, climate change, and infectious diseases
2) Participating in U.S. military operations in the event of an insurgency in the Taiwan Strait
3) Participating in joint efforts to contain China in cutting-edge technology, including semiconductors
4) Joining collective actions against China's repression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang
5) Actively contributing to the resolution of issues in Europe like the Ukraine War

[USFK’s Role in Korea] What role should the United States Forces Korea (USFK) play? [Multiple responses]

[ROK-Japan Relations in the ROK-US Alliance] Do you agree that an improvement in ROK-Japan relations is necessary to further enhance the ROK-US alliance?

[Confidence in US Extended Deterrence] If North Korean ICBM were to gain capacity to strike US mainland, do you think US will conduct nuclear retaliation in response to a North Korean nuclear attack on South Korea?

[Assessment of Washington Declaration] Do you agree with the statement that Washington Declaration is an adequate response to DPRK nuclear threat and ROK’s security concerns?

[Assessment of Washington Declaration] Why do you think the Washington Declaration is inadequate to address South Korea’s security concerns?

Major Project

Center for Public Opinion Research

Center for National Security Studies

United States

Public Opinion

Detailed Business

U.S.- China Strategic Competition

East Asia Public Opinion Poll

Korea-Japan(East Asia) Public Opinion Survey

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