55 % of Koreans view US unfavorably, highest level in 20 years
A poll by a U.S. research institute found that 55 percent of Koreans have an unfavorable opinion of the United States, marking the first time in two decades that more than half of respondents have expressed a negative view of the country. The figure was even higher than that recorded following the 2002 deaths of middle school students Shin Hyo-sun and Shim Mi-seon, who were struck and killed by a…
A recent poll conducted by a U.S. research institute has revealed that 55 percent of Koreans hold an unfavorable view of the United States, marking the highest level in two decades. This percentage is even higher than during the 2002 incident where two middle school students were killed by a U.S. military armored vehicle. Despite this negative sentiment, South Koreans still consider the United States as their most important ally.
According to the Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey released by the Pew Research Center, 55 percent of South Koreans now view the U.S. unfavorably, marking a significant increase of 16 percentage points from last year's 39 percent. The proportion of respondents with a "very unfavorable" opinion has also doubled, rising from 9 percent last year to 18 percent this year.
Conversely, only 45 percent of South Koreans hold a favorable opinion of the United States, a decline of 16 percentage points from the previous year. The survey was conducted among 1,044 South Koreans.
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- 55 % of Koreans view US unfavorably, highest level in 20 years koreatimes.co.kr
