{
  "id": 10692613,
  "title": "8 of 10 S. Koreans view two Koreas as separate states: poll",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/8-of-10-s-koreans-view-two-koreas-as-separate-states-poll",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T13:07:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/northkorea/20260929/8-of-10-s-koreans-view-two-koreas-as-separate-states-poll"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An overwhelming 81.8 percent of South Koreans view North and South Korea as distinct nations, according to a Gallup Korea poll commissioned by Seoul National University's Institute for Peace and Unification Studies. This figure represents an increase of 4.7 percentage points compared to the previous year.\n\nThe survey revealed that 53.5 percent of respondents recognized North Korea as an independent state, while 38.7 percent saw it primarily as a potential partner for cooperation. These percentages mark a notable shift in perception from previous years.\n\nPolitical ideology appeared to influence these views, with 62.4 percent of liberal respondents believing North Korea might launch a military provocation, compared to 54.2 percent among conservatives. This divergence could be attributed to differing outlooks on security matters that tend to vary between liberal and conservative administrations.\n\nResearchers from the IPUS noted that security concerns typically decrease among liberal supporters but tend to rise under liberal leadership.",
  "summary": "More than 80 percent of South Koreans viewed South and North Korea as separate states, a survey showed Tuesday. According to the poll conducted by Gallup Korea and commissioned by Seoul National University's Institute for Peace and Unification Studies (IPUS), 81.8 percent said they viewed South and North Korea as two separate states. The poll showed that 53.5 percent of the respondents recognized…",
  "key_points": [
    "81.8% of South Koreans view North and South Korea as separate states.",
    "53.5% recognize North Korea as an independent state.",
    "Political ideology influences perception of North Korea's intentions."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "8 of 10 S. Koreans view two Koreas as separate states: poll",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/8-of-10-s-koreans-view-two-koreas-as-separate-states-poll-10692690",
        "published": "2026-09-29T12:37:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "8 of 10 S. Koreans view two Koreas as separate states: poll",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/8-of-10-s-koreans-view-two-koreas-as-separate-states-poll-10696481",
        "published": "2026-09-29T13:27:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}