4 out of 10 Americans Oppose the Withdrawal of US Forces from South Korea

42.8% Oppose US Troop Withdrawal from South Korea, Only 26.8% Support

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] More than four out of ten Americans oppose the withdrawal of US Forces Korea (USFK), according to a survey.

According to a survey conducted online on the 7th by a research team led by Professor Timothy Rich of the International Public Opinion Laboratory (IPOL) under Western Kentucky University, targeting 1,024 Americans, and published on the 17th (local time) through the E-International Relations website, 42.85% of respondents opposed the withdrawal of USFK. Specifically, 12.93% expressed strong opposition, and 29.92% opposed it.

On the other hand, 26.84% of respondents supported the withdrawal of USFK. Among them, 4.83% strongly supported it, and 22.01% supported it. Meanwhile, 30.31% of respondents neither supported nor opposed the withdrawal of USFK.

By political party support, 45.42% of Democratic supporters opposed the withdrawal of USFK, which was higher than the 43.07% of Republican supporters. The proportion of Republican supporters who favored the withdrawal was 32.85%, higher than the 23.94% of Democratic supporters. The research team analyzed that "this result appears to be because Democratic supporters perceive North Korea as a more immediate threat" and "it seems related to President Donald Trump's mention of cost-sharing."

Regarding why Americans support the stationing of USFK, the team explained, "Although it is not exactly clear, the positive history of Korea-US relations and North Korea's hostility may have influenced this," adding, "It may also be due to expectations of successful war deterrence and the absence of full-scale armed conflict."

Meanwhile, the US Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 17th (local time) that the US Department of Defense has presented options for reducing USFK to the White House.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.