7 out of 10 Citizens "Do Not Trust Ministry of National Defense Announcements"

Defense Minister Seo Wook is delivering opening remarks at the 'Military Protection Zone Lifting and Relaxation Party-Government Consultation Meeting' held at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] About 7 out of 10 citizens do not trust the announcements made by the Ministry of National Defense.

According to the ‘2021 Nationwide Security Awareness Survey Report’ from the Korea National Defense University, obtained by Kang Dae-sik, a member of the People Power Party, 71.3% answered “do not trust” to the question, “Do you trust the various announcements of the Ministry of National Defense?” This response increased sharply by 31.9% compared to the previous year. The main reason for distrust in the Ministry of National Defense’s announcements was “lack of transparent disclosure,” accounting for 76.6%.

Additionally, 77.4% of the public responded that the efficiency of defense budget usage is “not efficient.” This response increased by 28.7% compared to 48.7% in 2020.

When asked whether they believe North Korea has the intention of complete nuclear disarmament, 70.6% responded negatively. This is a 16.2 percentage point increase from the 2020 survey. Specifically, 28.2% answered “No,” and 42.4% answered “Not at all.” In contrast, only 2.8% answered “Strongly agree,” 9.4% “Agree,” and 17.3% “Neutral,” showing relatively low positive responses.

Responses indicating that the North Korean regime and military are perceived as “hostile entities threatening the security of the Republic of Korea” accounted for 61.3%, significantly higher than the 22.1% who viewed them as “partners for cooperation.” Furthermore, 77.8% believed there is a high possibility of damage from cyberterrorism. Regarding the outlook for the Kim Jong-un regime within the next five years, 53.8% answered “unstable,” an increase of 15.5% from the previous year. Also, the percentage doubting North Korea’s intention for complete nuclear disarmament was 70.6%.

Regarding important countries for South Korea’s security and economy, 92.9% and 71.5% respectively named the United States, indicating that an overwhelming majority of citizens regard the U.S. as the most important for both security and economic aspects.

Concerning the attitude of neighboring countries in the event of a crisis on the Korean Peninsula, 80.3% responded that “China would be friendly to North Korea,” a sharp increase of 21.3% compared to the previous year, while only 4.1% believed China would be friendly to South Korea.

Responses that “Russia would be friendly to North Korea” accounted for 61.2%, up 13.9% from 47.3% in 2020. Additionally, 81.3% believed that “China’s military buildup would negatively affect South Korea’s security,” a dramatic increase of 26.1% compared to the previous year. The need to strengthen security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan was supported by 63.0% of respondents.

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