[AKYUNG Poll] 39.4% of People Say "North Korean Nuclear Weapons Should Be Gradually Reduced Through Working-Level Talks"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Forty percent of the public prefer gradual nuclear reduction through working-level negotiations to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. However, 35.6% believe that strengthening sanctions against North Korea to pressure it into abandoning its nuclear weapons is necessary. The public favoring the 'decision between leaders' approach, preferred by U.S. President Donald Trump, accounted for only 19.6%.

Asia Economy commissioned Win-G Korea Consulting to conduct a public opinion survey from the 28th to 29th targeting 1,000 voters aged 18 and older nationwide (100% mobile phone virtual numbers, automated response). The results showed that 39.4% of respondents answered, "Even if it takes time, nuclear forces should be gradually reduced through negotiations between working-level officials."

The opinion that sanctions against North Korea should be further strengthened to pressure it into giving up its nuclear weapons followed at 35.6%, and 19.6% responded that denuclearization and sanctions relief should be pursued simultaneously through decisions between leaders, as President Trump suggested.

Preferences for resolution methods also differed by gender and age. Among men, 41.2% preferred strengthening sanctions against North Korea, while only 32.9% favored gradual reduction. The proportion of men who preferred the 'Trump method' was 21.3%, higher than the overall average of 19.6%. Conversely, 45.7% of women preferred gradual reduction, nearly half, while only 30% chose strengthening sanctions.

The younger generation under 30 emphasized strengthening sanctions against North Korea. Among those aged 18 to 29, 35.4% favored strengthening sanctions, and 27.8% chose gradual reduction. The preference for decisions between leaders was 27.3%, the second highest among all age groups, and the "don't know/no response" rate was 9.5%, the highest among all age groups. From their 30s to 50s and those aged 70 and above generally preferred gradual reduction over strengthening sanctions. However, those in their 60s preferred sanctions strengthening at 46.8%, higher than gradual reduction at 42.2%. The 40s age group had the highest preference for 'decision between leaders' at 28.1%, while those aged 70 and above had the lowest at 5.9%.

By region, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area and the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area, considered conservative, showed higher preferences for strengthening sanctions at 48.9% and 42.1%, respectively, compared to gradual reduction. The Gwangju-Jeolla region showed a significantly higher preference for gradual reduction at 58.0% compared to sanctions strengthening at 18.9%.

Opinions on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue also varied by political orientation. Among supporters of the Democratic Party of Korea, 52.3% preferred gradual reduction, while only 12.4% chose sanctions strengthening. Conversely, among supporters of the People Power Party, 62.2% favored sanctions strengthening, and 27.5% preferred gradual reduction. Additionally, only 12.0% of presidential supporters agreed with sanctions strengthening, whereas 60.6% of those who do not support the president agreed with sanctions strengthening.

This survey was conducted nationwide among voters aged 18 and older from the 28th to 29th, with an overall response rate of 11.4%, totaling 1,000 respondents. The survey method was wireless ARS using 100% mobile phone virtual numbers. The sample was extracted with weighting by gender, age, and region based on the resident registration population as of the end of October 2020 from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (cell weighting). The sampling error is ±3.09 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed survey information, refer to the Win-G Korea Consulting website or the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.