Koreans’ fondness for the pope was higher than the global average, as Koreans seemed to be in favor of the pope regardless of their religion. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 25 (Korea Bizwire) – Six out of ten Koreans have a favorable opinion of Pope Francis.
Koreans’ fondness for the pope was higher than the global average, as Koreans seemed to be in favor of the pope regardless of their religion.
According to a survey conducted on 1,500 adults nationwide by the Gallup International Association, 65 percent of Koreans were fond of the pope, while 22 percent answered that they didn’t like him, and 13 percent chose not to answer.
The level of fondness among Koreans was similar to data gathered in August 2014, before the pope visited Korea, when 77 percent of Koreans answered they were fond of the pope in a survey conducted right after his visit.
At 93 percent, the vast majority of Catholics expressed their positive feelings about the pope. Christians (64 percent), Buddhists (62 percent) and non-religious people (62 percent) also answered that they were in favor of the pope. Compared to the data collected from 64 different countries (54 percent in favor), Koreans seemed to like the pope more than the global average.
When Gallup conducted a survey on 63,272 adults from 64 countries, 54 percent answered that they were fond of the pope, and 12 percent expressed their dislike towards him.
Among the 64 countries surveyed, the pope was adored the most in Portugal, where 94 percent of the respondents were fond of him. He was also popular in the Philippines (93 percent), Argentina (89 percent), and Italy (86 percent). However, the pope was least popular in Azerbaijan, as only 5 percent of those who answered were in favor.
By M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
