Denmark Reluctant to Lose Greenland... 70% of Citizens Oppose Independence [Trump X Greenland]

If Greenland Becomes Independent, Denmark's International Status Will Decline
A Blow to Its Dominance in the Arctic Ocean
Denmark's Gesture to Expand Greenland's Autonomy
"It Is Time to Build National Consensus"

Editor's NoteGreenland, a frozen land with a population of about 56,000, is rapidly emerging as a new arena for power competition. As climate change melts the glaciers covering Greenland, the Arctic sea routes have opened, and the extraction of underground resources buried nearby has become possible, increasing both its military and economic value. When U.S. President Donald Trump openly revealed his territorial expansion ambitions to seize Danish Greenland, Denmark responded by pledging to invest 3 trillion won in Arctic defense spending. The Greenlandic people's desire for independence is more intense than ever. Ahead of the early general election in March, we examine Greenland's political situation and the intentions of the world powers surrounding it.

Denmark's intentions regarding Greenland, where the desire for independence is growing stronger, are complex. Recent moves by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen clearly illustrate this. After confirming President Donald Trump's territorial ambitions for Greenland, Frederiksen met with leaders of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and within a week, she visited Germany, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, working tirelessly to garner support from European allies.

The Danish government has a principle that Greenland is not for sale and supports independence only if Greenland desires it. Last month, during a phone call with President Trump, Prime Minister Frederiksen said, "The decision on (Greenland's) independence must be made by Greenland itself." The atmosphere of the call between the two leaders was reportedly terrible. Some reacted that Denmark was completely frightened by President Trump's territorial ambitions.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark. Photo by AP Yonhap News

What are the true feelings of the Danish people? Very few support Greenland's complete independence. In a recent survey commissioned by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation and the political media Altinget to the polling agency Epinion, only 17% of Danes supported Greenland's independence. On the other hand, 70% of Danes wished for the current situation under Danish rule to continue. Among them, 27% responded that the current form, where diplomatic and defense powers remain with Denmark, should be maintained, and 43% said that while Greenland belongs to Denmark, it is necessary to expand its autonomy to allow more room for maneuver.

These responses from the Danish people reflect concerns that Denmark might lose its international standing if Greenland's independence proceeds. If Greenland becomes independent, Denmark's global territorial ranking would drop from 12th to around 130th. Denmark would also be completely outmatched in the Arctic Ocean power competition it currently exerts through Greenland. Frank Sejersen, associate professor of Greenland and Arctic studies at the University of Copenhagen, analyzed, "The post-colonial melancholy experienced by many Danes leads to discrimination, alienation, and neglect of history, making discussions related to Greenland difficult."

There are calls to increase Danish public understanding of Greenland even now. While Greenland is making efforts to concretize independence discussions, Denmark has lacked interest and knowledge. Although the Danish parliament elects two Greenlandic representatives, it has banned the use of the Greenlandic language within the parliament.

Sasha Pakse, a member of the Danish parliament from the opposition party Alternativet, said in an interview with Asia Economy, "Denmark has a moral, historical, and international legal obligation to empathize with the Greenlandic Inuit." She added, "As a privileged power, it is very important to continuously learn about their land and culture and to provide space for them to express their culture and choose their own future."

Frank Sejersen, Associate Professor in Greenland and Arctic Studies at the University of Copenhagen. University of Copenhagen website

Recognizing the significant side effects of Greenland's independence, Denmark has recently shown signs of gradual change. The Danish government made it mandatory last year to include lessons on colonial relations in the regular school curriculum. The parental competency assessment (FKU) for Greenlanders was also recently abolished. Under the FKU, if parents were assessed as having low intelligence or insufficient capacity, children were forcibly adopted by other Danish families or placed in orphanages.

Although introduced under the pretext of child protection, the policy was conducted only in Danish and did not consider the cultural differences of the Inuit, who make up the majority of Greenland's population, leading to strong criticism and prompting this change. Professor Sejersen said, "There is a need to strengthen public discourse on Greenland within Denmark," adding, "Because Danes do not understand the historical relationship with Greenland, it makes it difficult to continue important discussions for reconciliation and to address Denmark's wrongdoings."