More Than Half of South Koreans Say "Unification Is Not Necessary," Surpassing Those Who Say "It Is Necessary"

Korea Institute for National Unification Releases "Unification Awareness Survey 2025"
"Unification Not Necessary" Reaches Record High at 51%

A recent survey found that one out of every two South Koreans believes that unification is not necessary. This is the highest figure since the survey began in 2014, and it is also the first time that the percentage of those who say "unification is not necessary" has surpassed those who say "unification is necessary."

View of Tongil Bridge in Paju City. (This photo is not directly related to the article)

On October 20, the Korea Institute for National Unification released the results of the "KINU Unification Awareness Survey 2025." According to face-to-face interviews conducted with 1,000 adults aged 18 and over nationwide between July 10 and August 13, 51% of respondents said that "unification is not necessary." The percentage of those who said "unification is necessary" was 49.0%, marking a decrease of 3.8 percentage points from the previous year and the lowest figure since the survey began.

This is the first time since the survey started in 2014 that the response "unification is not necessary" has exceeded half, and also the first time it has surpassed "unification is necessary." The institute noted that a decline in the perceived need for unification was observed across all generations.

The institute analyzed that "the influence of North Korea's hostile two-state theory, the continued severance of inter-Korean relations, and domestic political factors appear to have worked in combination." It further pointed out that "this suggests that perceptions of unification are entering a phase of structural change, beyond short-term fluctuations."

2025 Unification Awareness Survey Results. Korea Institute for National Unification

63.2% of respondents agreed with the statement, "If the two Koreas can coexist peacefully without war, unification is not necessary." This is the highest rate since the question was included in the survey.

Additionally, 47% said that "it is better to remain divided as we are now rather than pursue unification." This figure has been steadily increasing since 2022 (35.2%), indicating a growing preference not only for peaceful coexistence but also for the current state of "hostile coexistence."

The institute explained, "As threats have become routine but no immediate clashes have occurred, the perception that 'this situation is tolerable' has spread."

Furthermore, indifference toward North Korea appears to be increasing. The percentage of respondents who said "I am not interested in North Korea" reached 68.1%, the highest ever recorded by the survey.

Since 2014, the Korea Institute for National Unification has conducted face-to-face surveys to study public perceptions and changes regarding unification, North Korea, unification and North Korea policies, and neighboring countries. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

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