US Diplomatic Media The Diplomat Conducts Poll
81% of Koreans Hold 'Negative' Views on China
[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] A survey revealed that anti-China sentiment among Koreans is the strongest among 56 countries worldwide.
According to Diplomat, a U.S. foreign affairs media outlet, an international research team including the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) conducted a public opinion survey between April 11 and June 23 this year targeting 1,364 Korean adult men and women regarding their perceptions of China. The proportion of respondents who viewed China as 'negative' or 'very negative' reached a staggering 81%.
This is the highest level among the 56 surveyed countries. Switzerland ranked second with 72%, and Japan third with 69%. Compared to these countries, the Korean response rate was about 10 percentage points higher.
Considering a similar survey conducted by the U.S. polling agency Pew Research in 2015, where only 37% of Koreans viewed China negatively, it is estimated that anti-China sentiment has intensified sharply in recent years.
Diplomat analyzed that the strong anti-China sentiment in Korea was largely influenced by fine dust originating from China. This is because the most negatively perceived characteristic of China by Koreans in this survey was 'China's impact on the global natural environment.'
The media emphasized that unlike most countries where 'China's military power' is perceived most negatively, only in Korea was this result derived. It also noted that in 2018, 270,000 people participated in a Korean national petition demanding China be held responsible for fine dust, and in 2019, conservative groups in Korea held related protests in front of the Chinese embassy.
Additionally, Koreans were also negative about 'China's technology,' and 77% had a negative perception of 'Chinese people.' Korean respondents reportedly showed quite negative views regarding China's response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the vaccines developed by China.
The word most associated with China by Koreans was 'COVID-19.' Other mainly mentioned negative words included 'historical distortion,' 'filth,' 'fake,' and 'pollution.' According to Diplomat, anti-China sentiment was strongest among people in their 20s and 30s, and the sentiment was weaker among those who were more economically well-off.
Meanwhile, this survey is part of the 'Sinophone Borderlands Project,' conducted with support from the European Regional Development Fund, surveying over 80,000 residents in 56 countries worldwide from 2020 to 2022.
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