Nearly 60 percent of int'l respondents doubt North Korea will denuclearize: survey

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho speaks at a seminar on Korean unification hosted by the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Unification

Nearly 60 percent of international survey respondents are skeptical about the possibility of North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons as the reclusive country continues to advance its nuclear and missile programs, results showed Tuesday.

According to a global survey on the prospects for inter-Korean unification and North Korea, released by the Ministry of Unification, 57 percent replied that North Korea is unlikely to denuclearize in the foreseeable future. Only 28 percent were optimistic about the possibility.

The survey, conducted by the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) and Gallup Korea from September to October, involved web surveys of 9,000 adults aged 18 and over in eight different countries — the United States, Japan, Germany, Vietnam, Poland, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. The survey carried a confidence level of 95 percent with a margin of error of about 1.02 percentage points.

“We selected respondents from countries that support a unified Korean Peninsula, including the U.S. and Japan, and those that have experienced division or regime change like Germany, Vietnam and Poland,” a unification ministry official said. “The data was collected through the Gallup Panel. Given the population sizes, we surveyed 2,000 adults in the U.S. and 1,000 adults in each of the other countries.”

According to the poll, 63 percent of the respondents said they believed the North’s nuclear development poses a threat to their own countries.

Just half of the survey respondents said they believed inter-Korean unification is completely or somewhat necessary. About 30 percent said unification is either “entirely unnecessary” or “not particularly necessary,” citing fears of war or conflict and the economic and social chaos after unification as the main reasons for their lukewarm responses.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un meets with Russia's Defence Minister Andrey Belousov (unpictured) in Pyongyang, Friday. TASS-Yonhap

Of the total respondents, 46 percent said they were skeptical of the possibility of a unified Korea due to social and cultural differences and North Korea’s nuclear threats, while 40 percent viewed the possibility of unification positively.

The survey showed the global community's lack of interest in North Korea's human rights situation. Only 32 percent of respondents said they were aware of the human rights situation in the North, while 38 percent said they did not know the situation well.

Among the respondents, 55 percent said they had heard of North Korean defectors while 45 percent said they were unaware.

The survey is part of South Korea’s efforts to strengthen international solidarity as part of implementing the Aug. 15 Unification Doctrine. The doctrine lays out implementation strategies to secure international solidarity and support for a free and unified Korea. This marked the first survey of global citizens’ understanding of Korean unification, according to the unification ministry.

“We hope this meaningful survey data induces cooperation from the international community for achieving unification on the Korean Peninsula,” Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said during a seminar on Korean unification hosted by KINU, Tuesday.

“Korean unification is no longer a matter concerning the two Koreas only. It is a global challenge that requires support and cooperation from the international community. That way, a unified Korea will contribute to world peace and prosperity.”