[Agyeong Poll] 53% of People Support Boycotting the Tokyo Olympics

Approval Rate Highest Among Those in Their 40s... Supporters of the People Power Party Are Evenly Split on Approval and Disapproval

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] With the Tokyo Olympics in Japan just a month away, more than half of the public expressed support for a boycott.

When asked, "What do you think about the call to boycott the Tokyo Olympics?" 53.3% of respondents were in favor. Those opposed accounted for 38%, and 8.7% said they were unsure. The approval rate was highest among people in their 40s at 63.5%, followed by those in their 50s (55.9%), ages 18-29 (53.8%), and 30s (53.8%). Conversely, support was relatively lower among those aged 60 and above. The approval rates for those in their 60s and those over 70 were 43.4% and 45.2%, respectively.

By region, support for the boycott was highest in Gwangju and Jeolla (63.2%) and lowest in Daegu and Gyeongbuk (44.9%). Other regions included Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam at 56.1%, Gyeonggi and Incheon at 53.4%, Seoul at 52.7%, Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungcheong at 51%, and Gangwon and Jeju at 47.8%. Opinions also varied according to political party support. Among supporters of the Democratic Party of Korea, 66.2% were in favor, while supporters of the People Power Party were almost evenly split with 46.8% in favor and 44.7% opposed.

The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee sparked controversy by marking Dokdo as Japanese territory on the official website’s map. Although the South Korean government protested and requested correction, the Japanese government has refused to comply. In response, some political circles have called for a firm stance, saying, "We must respond to this clear political provocation," and "If Japan continues to refuse, the government should mobilize all possible measures, including a boycott." On the other hand, opponents of the boycott have cited athletes who have dedicated their lives to the Olympics, arguing that this issue should be resolved through diplomatic efforts.

This survey was conducted by Asia Economy through Win-G Korea Consulting from the 12th to 13th of this month, targeting voters aged 18 and older nationwide. A total of 1,017 people responded, with an overall response rate of 10.9%. The survey method was 100% wireless ARS using virtual mobile phone numbers. The sample was extracted with weighted values (cell weighting) by gender, age, and region based on the resident registration population as of the end of January 2021 from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The sampling error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed survey information, please refer to the Win-G Korea Consulting website or the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.