"Our Wish Is Unification... Me?"... MZ Most Say 'Unification Unnecessary'

Seoul National University Institute for Unification and Peace Survey
3 out of 10 say "Unification is not necessary"
Younger generations show decreased enthusiasm for unification

Three out of ten South Koreans responded that "unification is not necessary," according to a survey. Negative perceptions of unification were found to be stronger among younger generations.

According to the results of the '2023 Unification Awareness Survey' conducted by the Seoul National University Institute for Peace and Unification Studies on the 17th, the proportion of respondents who said unification is 'not at all' or 'not really' necessary was 29.8%, the highest since the survey began in 2007. On the other hand, the percentage of those who said unification is necessary was 43.8%, the lowest ever recorded.

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un are shaking hands on May 26, 2018, at the Tongilgak in the northern area of Panmunjom before the 2nd Inter-Korean Summit.

Regarding views on unification, 45.2% responded that "it is better to wait until conditions mature and then gradually unify," marking the lowest level ever. Meanwhile, the responses "it is better to remain divided as it is now" and "I am not very interested in unification" were at record highs of 28.2% and 9.9%, respectively.

This trend was even more pronounced among younger generations. Only 30.6% of the MZ generation (born 1985?2004) answered that unification is "very necessary" or "necessary." Meanwhile, 36% said "it is better to remain as it is," and 41.3% of people in their 20s responded that unification is "not necessary."

On the other hand, the proportion of respondents who said the possibility of unification would take "more than 30 years" and those who said it is "impossible" were 30.2% and 33.3%, respectively, both the highest levels since the survey began. The percentage of people who felt a sense of closeness toward North Korean defectors also plummeted to a record low of 19%.

The satisfaction rate with the current government's North Korea policy rose significantly to 53.8%, compared to 45.4% last year. Both conservatives (58.3% → 69.3%) and progressives (41.3% → 44.1%) showed an upward trend.

Perception of North Korea as a threat was the highest among neighboring countries at 45.8%, and the proportion of those who viewed China as a threat was 36.8%. Favorability toward the United States reached an all-time high of 81.5%, and favorability toward Japan also slightly increased from 5.1% to 8%, which is interpreted as a result of ongoing efforts by the governments of both countries to improve Korea-Japan relations.

Regarding the most appropriate method for South Korea's nuclear armament, "developing its own nuclear weapons" was the highest at 49.3%, followed by "deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea" at 23.6%, and "opposition to possessing nuclear weapons" at 17.8%.

The institute analyzed, "As cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan strengthens and perceptions of North Korea, China, and Russia worsen, awareness of unification is deteriorating."

The survey was conducted by Gallup Korea from July 4 to 27 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult men and women nationwide. The confidence level is 95%, with a sampling error of ±2.8%.

Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold a South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit at Camp David, the U.S. president’s retreat, on the 18th (local time). The three leaders are expected to discuss a multilayered cooperation system and practical measures to jointly respond to the North Korean nuclear threat.

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