Koreans hold positive view of U.S., Biden, poll shows

Social Affairs

Published: 28 Jun. 2023, 09:50 Updated: 28 Jun. 2023, 09:57

Koreans hold positive view of U.S., Biden, poll shows

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and U.S. President Joe Biden shake hands during an official welcoming ceremony at the White House in Washington, on April 26. [YONHAP]

A majority of Koreans hold a positive view of the United States and President Joe Biden, while more than seven out of every 10 Koreans also believe the United States contributes to global peace and stability, a poll showed Tuesday.

In a 23-nation survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, 79 percent of those polled in Korea said they hold a positive opinion of the United States, significantly higher than the 23-country median of 59 percent.

The reading for Korea marks a 10-percentage-point drop from 89 percent in 2022, the highest since at least 2000.

The research center did not offer any specific reasons for the drop.

Seoul-Washington relations became slightly more turbulent after the U.S. president signed the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, which were viewed to have somewhat disadvantaged Korean companies.

However, only 59 percent of the respondents said they had confidence in Biden to handle global affairs, down from 70 percent in 2022. The 23-nation medium was 54 percent.

Eighty-nine percent of Korean respondents also said the United States interferes in other countries' affairs, compared with a median of 82 percent across all countries surveyed.

Seventy-four percent of Koreans said the United States contributes to peace and stability around the world, compared with a 23-country median of 61 percent.

The poll was conducted from Feb. 20 to May 22, involving 27,285 adults in the 23 countries surveyed. In Korea, the poll was conducted on 1,735 people aged 18 or older between March 3 and April 7, according to the Pew Research Center.

Yonhap