Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted an online survey of 2,000 people living in Seoul, 68 percent of whom said they support Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Korea Bizwire) – Two out of three Seoulites said they support Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul.
Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted an online survey of 2,000 people living in Seoul, 68 percent of whom said they support Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul. Another 22.4 percent said they oppose the idea.
A total of 70.3 percent of male respondents and 65.8 percent of female respondents supported Kim’s visit.
By age, 68.4 percent of all respondents in their 30s and 77.8 percent in their 40s supported the visit, surpassing those in their 20s (59.8 percent) and 50s (65.1 percent).
A plurality of 38.1 of the respondents wanted to hear a speech from Kim Jong-un when he visits Seoul.
Another 21.7 percent wanted to hold a candlelight festival to wish for a successful North-South summit while 15.1 percent wanted to send letters to Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and 7 percent wanted to hold a flash mob performance.
Among the respondents, 74.2 percent supported reunification of the Korean peninsula, which was almost three times the number of responses opposed to reunification (25.8 percent).
As for the reasons for reunification, 43.3 percent said reunification would make Korea a more advanced nation, while 71.8 percent said North-South relations will improve over the next five years, as opposed to those who said relations will deteriorate (4.6 percent).
At 53.3 percent, more than half of the respondents picked denuclearization as the top priority for the next five years, followed by ‘relieving North-South military tension’ (20.9 percent), and ‘building trust between North and South’ (11.8 percent).
Almost 70 percent said Seoul needs to develop North-South exchange programs, while 66 percent said that the programs will help improve North-South relations and 62.8 percent said the programs will help reunify the two countries.
Another 29.3 percent picked social and cultural exchange programs as the top priorities (29.3 percent), followed by health (18.6 percent), economy and industry (17.2 percent), and city infrastructure (15.8 percent).
More than two-thirds supported a joint Seoul-Pyongyang bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics.
As for the preconditions of holding the joint Olympics, 36.5 percent said that a peaceful environment should be created on the peninsula, while 27.3 percent said city infrastructure should be built.
“Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul, once it is confirmed, will be met by full support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government for a successful North-South Summit in Seoul,” said Park Won-soon, mayor of Seoul.
“Seoul will continue to strive to make the 2032 Seoul-Pyongyang Olympics and other major projects with North Korea a success.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
