Citizens and foreign tourists walking through Myeong-dong, Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans’ sentiment toward Japan has warmed significantly, reaching levels not seen since the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, according to a new Gallup Korea poll released Thursday, marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
In the nationwide survey conducted August 12–14 among 1,007 adults aged 18 and older, 38% of respondents said they had a favorable view of Japan. This represents a 17-point increase from the previous poll conducted in August 2022, when just 21% expressed similar views.
Gallup Korea noted that the current figure is the highest since the polling began in 1989, approaching the record 41% favorability measured in 2011, shortly after the earthquake.
Despite the rise in positive sentiment, 45% of respondents still reported unfavorable views of Japan, while 17% were undecided.
Meanwhile, when asked specifically about the Japanese people, 56% of respondents expressed favorable impressions, with the figure rising to 77% among those in their 20s — the most pro-Japanese demographic in the study.
The survey also asked respondents to name independence activists they most associate with Korea’s anti-Japanese resistance movement. An Jung-geun topped the list (47%), followed by Yu Gwan-sun (45%) and Kim Gu (43%). Men most frequently cited An, while women most often named Yu.
The poll was conducted through live interviews using randomly selected mobile phone numbers. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The response rate was 13.4%, with a contact rate of 42.1%. Full details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
