8 in 10 S. Koreans view 2 Koreas as separate states: poll

More than 80 percent of South Koreans viewed the two Koreas as separate states in a Tuesday poll commissioned by Seoul National University’s Institute for Peace and Unification Studies. The poll also found that 53.5 percent recognized North Korea as a state, while 38.7 percent saw it as a partner for cooperation. It showed 60.8 percent said South Korea’s territory is limited to the South’s effective control, while 28.3 percent said it covers the entire Korean Peninsula.

The poll found that 81.8 percent of respondents viewed South and North Korea as two separate states.

Gallup Korea conducted the survey of 1,200 adults from July 1 to 26, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Among respondents, 62.4 percent of liberals said North Korea was likely to stage a military provocation, compared with 54.2 percent of conservatives.

Kim Byung-ro, a researcher at IPUS, said the security concern pattern was highly unusual because liberal supporters had tended to show lower security concerns under liberal administrations.

Article 3 of the Constitution says the territory of the Republic of Korea consists of the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands.

Published Sep 29, 2026 9:56 pm KST

Updated Sep 29, 2026 10:29 pm KST

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, discusses the production of major munitions during a tour of a munitions factory with officials from the defense science research sector in an undisclosed location, in this undated photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). EPA-Yonhap

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 North Korea as a state, while 38.7 percent viewed it as a partner for cooperation, up 4.7 percentage points from the previous year.

Notably, 62.4 percent of liberals saw North Korea as likely to stage a military provocation, higher than 54.2 percent among conservatives.

"This is a highly unusual phenomenon, as security concerns tended to decline among liberal supporters, while rising among conservatives under liberal administrations," Kim Byung-ro, a researcher at IPUS, said as the institute announced the findings.

When asked about South Korea's territory, 60.8 percent viewed the country's territory as limited to the area under its effective control in the South, while 28.3 percent said it encompasses the entire Korean Peninsula as stipulated in the Constitution.

Article 3 of the Constitution stipulates that the territory of the Republic of Korea consists of the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands.

The poll was conducted among 1,200 adults from July 1 to 26 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

首尔大学和平统一研究院周二委托进行的一项民意调查显示，超过80%的韩国民众认为朝韩是两个独立的国家。该调查还发现，53.5%的受访者承认朝鲜是一个国家，而38.7%的受访者则将其视为合作伙伴。调查显示，60.8%的受访者认为韩国的领土范围仅限于韩国实际控制的区域，而28.3%的受访者则认为韩国的领土范围涵盖整个朝鲜半岛。

民调显示，81.8%的受访者认为韩国和朝鲜是两个独立的国家。

盖洛普韩国于 7 月 1 日至 26 日对 1200 名成年人进行了调查，在 95% 的置信水平下，误差幅度为正负 2.8 个百分点。

在受访者中，62.4%的自由派人士认为朝鲜可能会进行军事挑衅，而持相同观点的保守派人士为54.2%。

IPUS 的研究员金炳路表示，这种安全担忧模式非常不寻常，因为自由派支持者在自由派政府执政期间往往表现出较低的安全担忧。

《韩国宪法》第三条规定，大韩民国的领土包括朝鲜半岛及其邻近岛屿。

发布于2026年9月29日晚上9:56（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月29日晚上10:29（韩国标准时间）

朝鲜领导人金正恩（中）在参观一家军火工厂期间，与国防科技部门官员讨论主要军火的生产情况。这张照片由朝鲜官方通讯社朝中社发布，拍摄日期不详。图片来源：EPA-Yonhap

周二公布的一项调查显示，超过80%的韩国人认为韩国和朝鲜是两个独立的国家。

根据盖洛普韩国公司受首尔国立大学和平统一研究所（IPUS）委托进行的民意调查，81.8% 的受访者表示他们认为韩国和朝鲜是两个独立的国家。

民意调查显示，53.5%的受访者承认朝鲜是一个国家，38.7%的受访者将其视为合作伙伴，比上一年上升了4.7个百分点。

值得注意的是，62.4% 的自由派人士认为朝鲜有可能进行军事挑衅，这一比例高于保守派人士的 54.2%。

“这是一个非常不寻常的现象，因为在自由派政府执政期间，自由派支持者的安全担忧往往会下降，而保守派的安全担忧则会上升，”IPUS 研究员金炳路在研究所宣布研究结果时表示。

当被问及韩国的领土范围时，60.8%的人认为韩国的领土仅限于其在南方实际控制的区域，而28.3%的人则认为韩国的领土包括宪法规定的整个朝鲜半岛。

《宪法》第三条规定，大韩民国的领土包括朝鲜半岛及其邻近岛屿。

这项民意调查于 7 月 1 日至 26 日期间对 1200 名成年人进行，在 95% 的置信水平下，误差幅度为正负 2.8 个百分点。