The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency reports Thursday (Oct 17) on North Korea's destruction of inter-Korean roads and railways along the Gyeongui and Donghae lines that occurred two days earlier. - Photo: Yonhap
SEOUL: As tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula, a recent survey shows that just some one in seven people here would be willing to participate in a war if conflict erupts.
According to a survey released Thursday (Oct 17) by opposition Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Hwang Hee, 13.9 per cent of respondents said they would join the war effort.
The survey, conducted by the Korean National Defense University in 2023, involved 1,200 people aged 18 to 75.
The figure has dropped from 22.7 percent in 2014 and 20.9 per cent in 2020.
However, 48.2 per cent of respondents said they would “support the military from the rear, even if they cannot participate directly,” the highest rate recorded since the survey began in 2014.
Additionally, 27.3 per cent of respondents said they would flee to a safer area within the country, while 3.2 per cent indicated they would leave the country entirely.
Regarding South Korea’s security situation, 41.6 per cent of respondents expressed concern.
Specifically, 38.9 per cent said they were “somewhat concerned,” while 2.7 per cent reported being “very concerned.”
On the other hand, 28.7 per cent labeled it as “stable.”
The percentage of those who were “somewhat” or “very concerned” rose by 10.7 percentage points from 2022, while those who felt it was “stable” dropped by 9.8 percentage points. - The Korea Herald/ANN
