When Was "No-No Japan"?... Favorability Toward Japan Nears All-Time High

38% of Respondents Say They Have a Favorable Impression of Japan in Poll
Young People Show Higher Favorability... Contrasts With "No-No Japan" Era

A recent public opinion poll has found that South Koreans' favorability toward Japan has reached its highest level since surveys began in 1989.

According to a poll released by Gallup Korea on August 15, marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, 38% of respondents said they had a favorable impression of Japan. This represents a 17 percentage point increase compared to the survey conducted in August 2022 (21%). The figure is close to the all-time high of 41% recorded just after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

The streets of Myeongdong, Seoul, bustling with foreign tourists and others. Photo by Yonhap News

On the other hand, 45% of respondents said they did not have a favorable impression of Japan, while 17% withheld their opinion.

Perceptions of "Japanese people" were even more positive. Fifty-six percent of respondents said they had a favorable impression of Japanese people, while only 26% said they did not. Notably, among those in their 20s, the favorability response was highest at 77%. Favorability toward Japan itself was also highest among those in their 20s, at 61%, surpassing other age groups.

This change is particularly striking compared to 2019, when relations between South Korea and Japan deteriorated sharply. At that time, the Japanese government restricted exports of key semiconductor and display materials, prompting a backlash in South Korea and the spread of the "No-No Japan" boycott movement. In opinion polls at the time, favorability toward Japanese people stood at 41%, while favorability toward Japan was only 12%. Since then, as relations between the two countries have gradually improved, favorability has rebounded significantly.

Meanwhile, in a survey conducted for Liberation Day asking, "Which independence activist comes to mind first?" Ahn Jung-geun (47%), Yu Gwan-sun (45%), and Kim Gu (43%) were the most frequently mentioned. Male respondents most often selected Ahn Jung-geun, while female respondents most often chose Yu Gwan-sun.

This survey was conducted from August 12 to 14, targeting 1,007 people nationwide aged 18 or older. The survey was carried out through interviews by telephone operators using randomly generated mobile phone numbers. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The contact rate was 42.1%, and the response rate was 13.4%.

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