[Public Opinion Brief No. 10] The Issue of Global Warming

The Issue of Global Warming

Global warming is a global threat; the US, China, and India are lukewarm on the issue of global warming!

Koreans believe global warming will become a greater threat than North Korea's nuclear program within 10 years.

Economy takes precedence over environment.

Jeong Han-oul, Deputy Director of the Public Opinion Analysis Center

On March 8, EU leaders from 27 countries adopted a joint statement agreeing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, identified as the primary cause of global warming, by 20% by 2020. Experts interpreted this agreement by European leaders as a targeted message to countries such as the United States, China, and India, which have been passive regarding the issue of global warming. A public opinion survey conducted from June to December 2006 in 17 countries by CCGA (Chicago Council on Global Affairs) and EAI (East Asia Institute, Director: Professor Kim Byong-gook, Korea University), with the sponsorship of the JoongAng Ilbo, revealed that citizens in the US, China, and India are indeed very lukewarm on the issue of global warming.

The citizens of these countries largely shared their governments' stances on global warming. The proportion of respondents who believed that "global warming will become a serious problem within the next 10 years" was 46% in the US, 47% in China, and 51% in India, significantly lower than in Mexico (70%) and Australia (69%). This difference is likely reflected by Mexico's location in South America, known as the origin of El Niño, and Australia's status as an island nation directly affected by extreme weather events.

South Korea emerged as one of the countries most concerned about global warming. 67% of respondents viewed the issue of global warming as a potential serious threat to South Korea's national interests within the next 10 years. This figure is substantially higher than concerns about North Korea's nuclear development (50%), international terrorism (49%), or conflict situations on the Korean Peninsula (29%). Including the 29% who responded that it would be "a significant threat, though not critical," South Korea stands out as the country with the highest level of concern regarding global warming among the surveyed nations.

Public concern over environmental issues such as global warming translates into a preference for prioritizing "environmental improvement" in the foreign policy agenda of the South Korean government. A substantial 60% of respondents agreed that "improving the global environment" should be a foreign policy pursued by the South Korean government. This high level of agreement, with 60% deeming it a "very important foreign policy task," indicates that more people assign a higher priority to this issue than to preventing North Korea's nuclear weapons development (48%) or the unification of the Korean Peninsula (43%). With the Korea Meteorological Administration predicting more frequent extreme weather events this year due to the overlapping phenomena of El Niño and global warming, public interest and concern regarding environmental issues are expected to continue to rise.

However, it is noteworthy that a significant portion of South Koreans prioritize economic issues over environmental concerns. Economic policies such as economic growth (79%), protecting jobs for Korean workers (68%), safeguarding the profits of Korean companies (65%), and ensuring stable energy supply (63%) receive higher support than environmental protection. This suggests that the majority of South Koreans perceive the economic downturn not merely as a social phenomenon, but as a national-level issue that will determine the country's interests over the next decade.

[Figure 1] Global Warming Threat in Major Countries within the Next 10 Years: "Very Serious" (%)

Source: CCGAㆍEAI (2006)

Note) Based on the question: "For each of the following items, do you believe it will pose a serious threat to Korea's national interest within 10 years, a significant threat though not serious, or no threat at all?" This indicates the response rate for "critical threat."

[Figure 2] Factors Posing a Serious Threat to Korea's National Interest within the Next 10 Years (%)

Source: EAIㆍJoongAng Ilbo (2006)

Note) Based on the question: "For each of the following items, do you believe it will pose a serious threat to Korea's national interest within 10 years, a significant threat though not serious, or no threat at all?" This indicates the response rate for "critical threat."

[Figure 3] Priorities for Diplomatic Policy to be Pursued by the South Korean Government (%)

Source: EAIㆍJoongAng Ilbo (2006)

Note) Based on the question: "For each of the following items, do you consider it a very important goal for Korean foreign policy, a somewhat important goal, or not an important goal at all?" This indicates the response rate for "very important goal" (%).