Japan-Korea relations are going through a bit of a rough patch right now, as this survey into Japan-Korea relations from @Nifty shows.

I’m surprised by quite how negative the outcome is here; my impression is that people are just fed up with Korea rather than what seems to be active dislike; I took my opinion from various television news programs, but perhaps in the interest of balance, and that people are more measured when on TV versus doing a survey in the privacy of their own home I have been misled.

Anyway, here’s a charming poster from Korea about one of the triggers of Japn-Korea animosity.

Dokdo / Takeshima propaganda poster

Research results

Q1: When the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea was signed, how were individual claims of forced labour handled? (Sample size=3,145)

Claims were nullified
42.1%
Claims were to be made to the Korean government
36.1%
Claims against Japanese corporations remained
2.2%
Claims against the Japanese government remained
1.5%
Claims against Korean corporations remained
0.9%
Other
3.2%
Don’t know
3.2%

Q2: Do you agree or disagree with the Japan government applying limits to the export of chemicals for chip making to Korea? (Sample size=3,145)

Agree, and I think exports should be stopped altogether
50.7%
Agree, as I don’t think they sufficiently manage the exported chemicals
20.8%
Agree, as I think it is appropriate retaliation for the forced labour issue, etc
8.7%
Agree for another reason
2.8%
Disagree, as it will damage Japanese corporations too and other knock-on effects
3.1%
Disagree, as it should be resolved by talking to each other
1.4%
Disagree, as it goes against Japan’s promotion of free trade
1.3%
Disagree for another reason
2.7%
Other
1.2%
Don’t know
7.2%

Whilst 82.9% of men agreed with sanctions, a smaller 67.1% of women did, although there was 15.8 percentage points of women who didn’t know enough to answer.

Q3: Which aspects of Japan-Korea relations do you think are doing well or improving? (Sample size=3,145, multiple answer)

Rank
 
Percentage
1
Culture, arts
20.4%
2
Tourism, sightseeing
19.0%
3
Food
11.0%
4
Youth exchange
6.6%
5
Sports
6.4%
6
Politics, diplomacy
2.8%
7
Economy, trade
2.3%

The tables exclude the 63.8% who answered “Nothing in particular”. It was younger people who tended to select this answer, with 73.9% of the under 30s choosing it.

Q4: What do you think is the most popular genre in the current third Korean boom? (Sample size=3,145)

Rank
 
Percentage
1
K-POP (music)
18.1%
2
Food
6.5%
3
Sightseeing
4.9%
4
Cosmetics, make-up
4.9%
5
Korean drama, movies
4.2%
6
K-POP (dance)
4.0%
7
Beauty salons, cosmetic surgery
2.4%

Q5: Do you think American forces will withdraw from South Korea? (Sample size=3,145)

No, and will remain at the present strength
41.4%
No, but will reduce their force size
31.8%
Yes
12.9%
No, and will increase their forces
3.2%
Don’t know
9.6%
Other
1.0%

Q6: What impression do you have of South Korea? (Sample size=3,145)

Very good impression
0.8%
Somewhat good impression
3.3%
Somewhat poor impression
20.9%
Very poor impression
63.3%
Don’t know, can’t say
11.7%

Q7: What do you think will happen in the future between North and South Korea? (Sample size=3,145)

They will remain as two countries
63.1%
They will unify under North Korea
15.5%
They will unify under South Korea
3.0%
Don’t know
15.5%
Other
2.8%

Demographics

Between the 19th of July and the 1st of August 2019 3,145 members of the @Nifty monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. No further demographics were provided.

Categories: PoliticsPolls

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