← Back · ← Home · ← Back to list
[EAI Public Opinion Briefing] 2023 EAI East Asia Survey ①: The United States and ROK-U.S. Relations
Editor's Note
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, the East Asia Institute (EAI) conducted a public opinion survey to gauge perceptions of the United States and the ROK-U.S. alliance. EAI is releasing the survey results visualized as graphs under the title "EAI Public Opinion Briefing." While a majority of respondents assessed the ROK-U.S. alliance as having positively contributed to South Korea's security, economy, and democratic development over the past 70 years, they showed a somewhat lukewarm response regarding the current state and future development potential of ROK-U.S. relations. Furthermore, complex perceptions emerged concerning the role of the ROK-U.S. alliance, the direction of South Korea's contributions, and the credibility of U.S. extended deterrence commitments, such as the Washington Declaration.
2023 EAI East Asia Survey
f2e34dd1a320d063
| Population | Men and women aged 18 and over nationwide |
| Sampling Frame | Townships, villages, and neighborhoods nationwide |
| Sampling Method | Proportional allocation by gender, age, and region, followed by random sampling (based on resident registration population announced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in July 2023) |
| Sample Size | 1,008 individuals |
| Sampling Error | Assuming random sampling, the maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level is ±3.1% |
| Survey Method | Face-to-face interviews by interviewers (PI) |
| Survey Period | August 25, 2023 ~ September 13, 2023 |
| Survey Organization | Korea Research Co., Ltd. (CEO Noh Ik-sang) |
| Respondent Composition | [Gender] Male 49.8%, Female 50.2% [Education Level] Middle school or below 14.8%, High school graduate 38.6%, Junior college or higher 46.6% [Age] 18-19 years old 1.4%, 20s 14.9%, 30s 14.7%, 40s 18.0%, 50s 19.9%, 60s and over 31.2% |
[Greatest Threat Facing South Korea]What do you consider the greatest threat facing South Korea? [Up to 2nd choice]
[Government's Top Diplomatic Priorities]What do you consider the government's top diplomatic priorities? [Up to 2nd choice]
[Most Important Diplomatic Relations for the Government]Which diplomatic relations are most important for the government? [Up to 2nd choice]
[Experience Visiting the United States]Have you ever visited the United States?
[Impression of the United States]What impression do you have of the United States?
[Reasons for a Favorable Impression]What are the reasons for your favorable impression of the United States? [Up to 2nd choice]
[Reasons for an Unfavorable Impression]What are the reasons for your unfavorable impression of the United States? [Up to 2nd choice]
[Impression of the U.S. President]What impression do you have of U.S. President Joe Biden?
[Current ROK-U.S. Relations]What do you think of the current relationship between South Korea and the United States?
[Importance of ROK-U.S. Relations]Do you consider current ROK-U.S. relations important for South Korea?
[Future of ROK-U.S. Relations]How do you view the future of ROK-U.S. relations?
[Opinion on ROK-U.S. Economic Relations]What are your thoughts on the economic relationship between South Korea and the United States?
[Opinion on the Past of the ROK-U.S. Alliance]Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
1) The ROK-U.S. alliance has contributed to South Korea's security.
2) The ROK-U.S. alliance has contributed to South Korea's economic development.
3) The ROK-U.S. alliance has contributed to the development of democracy in South Korea.
[Opinion on the ROK-U.S. Alliance]The following are some debates regarding the alliance with the United States. What is your opinion on them?
1) Due to the ROK-U.S. alliance, South Korea may become entangled in regional conflicts in Asia that are not in its national interest.
2) The ROK-U.S. alliance guarantees South Korea's security against pressure or attacks from China.
3) As the United States is relatively declining compared to China, the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance is diminishing.
[Opinion on the ROK-U.S. Alliance]Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
"The ROK-U.S. alliance should evolve into an alliance that plays a role in resolving regional and global issues, beyond responding to North Korea's military threats."
[Opinion on the ROK-U.S. Alliance and South Korea's Role]Considering the future vision of the ROK-U.S. alliance, do you support South Korea's role and contributions in the following regional and global issues?
1) Jointly respond to global challenges such as nuclear non-proliferation, climate change, and infectious diseases.
2) Participate in military conflicts in the Taiwan Strait if the United States intervenes.
3) Participate in policies that strongly check China in areas of advanced technology such as semiconductors.
4) Participate in a joint stance that strongly responds to human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur region.
5) Actively contribute to resolving European issues, such as the war in Ukraine.
[Role of the USFK] What role do you think the USFK should play? [Multiple]
[Necessity of Improving ROK-Japan Relations for the Development of the ROK-US Alliance] Do you believe that improving ROK-Japan relations is necessary for the development of the ROK-US alliance?
[Trust in US Extended Deterrence] If North Korea becomes capable of directly attacking the US mainland with missiles, do you believe the US will respond with nuclear weapons if South Korea is attacked with nuclear weapons, or not?
[Evaluation of the Washington Declaration] Do you agree that the Washington Declaration is sufficient to alleviate South Korea's security concerns as an appropriate response to North Korea's nuclear threat?
[Evaluation of the Washington Declaration] What are the reasons why you do not believe the Washington Declaration sufficiently alleviates South Korea's concerns regarding the security threats posed by North Korea?
*This text is an AI translation of an original written in Korean. Some translations or nuances may be inaccurate.