This file photo shows the downstream part of the North Korea’s Hwanggang Dam on the Imjin River. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Fewer than half of South Koreans believe unification with the North is necessary, though support has edged higher compared with a year ago, a new survey shows.
The 2025 Unification Awareness Survey, conducted by Seoul National University’s Institute for Peace and Unification Studies and Gallup Korea, found that 41.1 percent of respondents said unification is necessary, up from 36.9 percent in 2024. Those opposed fell to 30.4 percent, down from 35 percent a year earlier.
The generational divide, however, is deepening. A majority of South Koreans in their 20s — 50.7 percent — said unification is unnecessary, marking the first time since the survey began in 2007 that opposition in that age group surpassed half.
Nearly half of respondents (47.4 percent) said unification should come gradually as conditions mature, while 30.6 percent preferred maintaining the status quo. More than a third (35.6 percent) said unification would be impossible, while 28.6 percent placed the timeline at 30 years or more.
The Joint Security Area (JSA) is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face. (image: Wikipedia)
Perceptions of North Korea are mixed. While cooperative and hostile views declined, the proportion expressing caution or support increased. More than half of respondents (56.5 percent) said they felt insecure because of the North — roughly the same as in 2018 — yet an overwhelming majority believe Pyongyang will never abandon its nuclear weapons (89.7 percent) and view its human rights situation as dire (82.5 percent).
Asked about policy priorities, 63.1 percent said peace should come first, and 52 percent expressed satisfaction with President Lee Jae-myung’s North Korea policy.
The survey also gauged views of neighboring powers. The United States remained South Korea’s closest partner at 76.3 percent, though trust in Washington has declined for two consecutive years. Japan (11.4 percent), China (2.1 percent), and Russia (0.1 percent) trailed far behind. North Korea was seen as the greatest threat (42.1 percent), followed by China (31 percent), Russia (11.1 percent), Japan (10.3 percent), and the U.S. (5.5 percent).
The findings underscore how public opinion remains fluid, shaped both by Pyongyang’s hardened stance against unification and Seoul’s push for dialogue and coexistence. The researchers cautioned that absent tangible improvements in inter-Korean relations, divisions by generation, region, and ideology are likely to deepen.
This Feb. 15, 2022, file photo shows a North Korean flag in the North Korean village inside the Demilitarized Zone. (Yonhap)
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
