The 6th Korea-Japan National Perception Survey: Key Findings Report

Survey Overview

The East Asia Institute (EAI), a private think tank in South Korea, and The Genron NPO, a non-profit organization in Japan, conducted a joint public opinion survey targeting citizens of both South Korea and Japan from May to June 2018. The objective of this survey is to continuously grasp the current status and changes in the understanding and perceptions of each country's citizens towards the other, thereby reducing various perception gaps and promoting mutual understanding between the peoples of both nations.

The results of this study will be presented and discussed at the "Korea-Japan Future Dialogue," a forum for private experts from both countries, to be held on June 22.

The South Korean public opinion survey was conducted from May 21 to May 31, targeting men and women aged 19 and above in South Korea, using face-to-face interviews by surveyors. A total of 1,014 valid responses were collected. The gender distribution of respondents was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The distribution by final educational attainment was as follows: 5.9% elementary school graduate, 7.5% middle school graduate, 41.2% high school graduate, 11.5% currently attending or dropped out of university (including junior college), 31.8% university graduate, and 2.1% graduate school or higher. By age group, the distribution was: 17.6% aged 19-29, 16.9% aged 30-39, 20.3% aged 40-49, 19.9% aged 50-59, and 25.3% aged 60 and above.

The Japanese public opinion survey was conducted from May 19 to June 3, targeting men and women aged 18 and above in Japan, using the mail-in response method. A total of 1,000 valid responses were collected. The gender distribution of respondents was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. The distribution by final educational attainment was as follows: 9% middle school graduate, 44.2% high school graduate, 20.3% junior college and higher technical school graduate, 22.6% university graduate, 1.5% master's program, and 1.7% other. By age group, the distribution was: 2.4% under 20 years old, 12% aged 20-29, 14.7% aged 30-39, 17.4% aged 40-49, 14.6% aged 50-59, and 38.9% aged 60 and above.

1. Impressions of the Other Country

While there was no significant improvement in the impressions of Japanese people towards South Korea, the impressions of South Koreans towards Japan continued to improve, following the trend from the previous year.

[Figure 1. Impressions of the Other Country]

[Figure 2. Impressions of the Other Country (6-Year Trend)]

1-2. Reasons for Having Positive/Negative Perceptions of the Other Country

Although citizens of both countries showed a calmer attitude towards 'historical issues' and 'territorial disputes' compared to the previous year, these issues continue to have the greatest impact on their perceptions of the other country. The most frequently cited reason for having a good impression of the other country was 'interest in Korean culture' among Japanese respondents, and 'the friendly and diligent national character of the Japanese people' among South Korean respondents.

[Figure 3. Reasons for Having Negative Impressions]

(Continued)

Attachment: 180807_kjreport.pdf