Trust in China: 9 out of 10 People Hold Negative Views
Passengers bound for Japan are completing departure procedures at Gimpo Airport. [Photo by Yonhap News]
It was found that the 2030 generation has a more favorable perception of Japan than China.
On the 13th, the Northeast Asian History Foundation (Chairman Park Jihyang) announced the results of a public opinion survey conducted from July 22 to 30 among 1,000 adult men and women aged 18 to 39 nationwide regarding "historical issues and Korea-Japan and Korea-China relations." This survey was conducted to understand the perceptions of the 2030 generation toward Korea-Japan and Korea-China relations and to analyze the need for improving relations between the two countries in the future.
As a result, the 2030 generation showed a higher positive perception of Japan than China. 57.3% of respondents answered that they had a favorable impression of Japan, while only 10.1% had a favorable impression of China.
In particular, 9 out of 10 respondents gave negative answers regarding trust and favorability toward China. The percentage of respondents who said they trust Japan and those who said they trust China were 35.1% and 6.1%, respectively, showing a significant difference.
The most frequently cited factor for distrust and an obstacle to improving relations with both countries was historical issues. Among the reasons for not trusting Japan, historical issues (including Dokdo) accounted for the highest at 70.2%. The issue that needs to be resolved was also historical issues, accounting for a high rate of 64.9%.
Additionally, 67.9% of respondents said a new joint declaration is necessary to improve Korea-Japan relations, while 20.7% said it is not necessary. The contents that should be included in a new Korea-Japan joint declaration were ranked as follows: "Reflection and apology for colonial rule" (79%), "Building a future-oriented relationship" (65%), and "Cooperation to solve global challenges" (46%).
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