A survey from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs reveals the South Korean public sees an improvement in their country's security.
Introduction
Support for South Korea developing its own nuclear weapon appears to have waned, though a slight majority remains in favor. Despite what seems to be a slight sense of relief, the South Korean public is skeptical that either Moon or Trump can convince Kim Jong Un to fully denuclearize.
Key Findings
Over the past 12 months, there have been more discussions between South Korean, US, and North Korean officials about Pyongyang’s potential denuclearization than at any time since the Six-Party Talks in 2006 and 2007. Exactly where those discussions are headed is unclear. But in South Korea, the public generally sees an improvement in the South Korean security situation according to a just-completed Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey. As a result, support for South Korea developing its own nuclear weapon appears to have waned, though a slight majority remains in favor. Despite what seems to be a slight sense of relief, the South Korean public is skeptical that either Moon or Trump can convince Kim Jong Un to fully denuclearize.
- A plurality of South Koreans (42%) say that their country’s national security situation has improved compared to four years ago.
- A majority of South Koreans (57%) say President Moon had a greater influence on North Korea’s decision to hold denuclearization talks than did President Trump (31%).
- But slim majorities have little or no confidence that either President Moon’s (52%) or President Trump’s (53%) negotiating abilities will result in the denuclearization of North Korea.
- The US-South Korea alliance (36%) and US forces in Korea (20%) are the two most highly-cited factors in preventing a wide scale North Korean attack.
- A narrow majority (54%) favor South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons, down from similar readings in recent years.
