S Korea hates Japan and China more than N Korea, Gallup Poll reveals

[beijingwalker]

S Korea hates Japan and China more than N Korea, Gallup Poll reveals

By Steven Simonitch

National Aug. 05, 2012 - 06:06AM JST ( 207 )
S Korea hates Japan more than N Korea, Gallup Poll reveals

TOKYO —

Nothing brings a nation together like a common enemy and the Olympics give us an excuse to degrade every other country on the planet world without it seeming xenophobic.

It was in the midst of this festive atmosphere that Gallup Korea published their annual poll showing the country’s opinion of the rest of the world. The results? South Korea hates Japan even more than North Korea and loves America the most.

Okay, so the Japanese and South Koreans don’t get along — what else is new? Japan hit the top of the same list back in 2002 and it shouldn’t be too hard to find a poll in Japan where Korea scores the same.

What is different about this year’s results is how much Korea seems to hate Japan: whereas 19.1% of South Koreans polled said they hold a unfavorable view of runner-up country China, a whopping 44.1% of respondents answered the same of Japan. While K-pop tops Japanese music charts and young Japanese women dream of bagging a Korean boy, nearly half of Korea is telling Japan to shove off.

Of course, the timing of the research was far from ideal: 1,500 male and female Korean adults were polled over 16 days from July 14 to July 29 — a month after right-wing Japanese activist Nobuyuki Suzuki enraged the entire country by setting up a sign reaffirming Japan’s claim disputed islands and denouncing comfort women as prostitutes next to a comfort women memorial statue in Seoul.

Here are the 2012 results compared with 2002 in parenthesis (translated from Japanese):

■ South Korea’s Top 5 Least Favorite Countries
1. Japan – 44.1% (33.4% in 2002)
2. China – 19.1% (4.6%)
3. North Korea – 11.7% (17.3%)
4. America – 4.8% (18%)
5. Iraq – 0.7% (0.7%)

■ South Korea’s Top 5 Favorite Countries
1. America – 21.5% (16.5% in 2002)
2. Australia – 19% (12.5%)
3. Switzerland – 8% (8.8%)
4. Canada – 7.4% (6.6%)
5. England – 5.1% (3%)

On the other hand, South Koreans seem to love Americans more than ever before. This was especially true of respondents over the age of 60, 32.8% of whom said they felt America was still one of the good guys. Interestingly enough, America also makes the list for top 5 most disliked countries, but looking at the drop from 18% in 2002 to 4.8% this year shows that South Korea has been warming up to the country over the past decade.

A step forward for America in the eyes of South Koreans but a step back for Japan…we here at RocketNews24 wonder why we just can’t all get along gangnam style.

Source: KRNews

 

[Icecreamcart]

No surprise that Japan is still the most hated, with those years of Japanese colonization and forced assimilation. Nothing China can do short of invasion would make China more hated than Japan.

It's too bad that these experiences have made South Korea one of the most xenophobic nations ever.

 

[oct605032048]

What can they do?

 

[siegecrossbow]

Iraq????????? WTF???

 

[Korean]

No surprise that Japan is still the most hated, with those years of Japanese colonization and forced assimilation. Nothing China can do short of invasion would make China more hated than Japan.

It is not that. Japan is seen as the biggest rival of Korea, where as Koreans see China as being culturally unsophisticated and are several steps below Korea in terms of competitiveness. And the timing of this survey was bad, as it was taken during the diplomatic showdown with Japan.

And this poll is not the most important piece of that article. This is what matters the most.

While K-pop tops Japanese music charts and young Japanese women dream of bagging a Korean boy

 

[Boson]

South Korea and North Korea are like East and West Germany, or like India and Pakistan.

They hate each other but there is always a family getting together.

Hating North Korea has an altogether differrent meaning, compared to hating china or japan.

As for liking USA, I won't be surprised even if chinese love USA the most, going by the droves of chinese learning English and finding "innovative" ways of going to USA.

 

[anon45]

It is not that. Japan is seen as the biggest rival of Korea, where as Koreans see China as being culturally unsophisticated and are several steps below Korea in terms of competitiveness. And the timing of this survey was bad, as it was taken during the diplomatic showdown with Japan.

And this poll is not the most important piece of that article. This is what matters the most.

Honestly that sounds like fluff to me unless there is some statistic that supports it.

I wonder how different the poll would be if it was by most and least favorite leaders (of other countries)...?

 

[Martian2]

North Koreans have butchered South Koreans. China hasn't done anything.

The South Koreans will quickly change their minds when North Korea unleashes its artillery or nuclear bomb on Seoul.

It's amazing to me that South Koreans dislike Chinese more than North Koreans. In the last two years, North Korea sank the South Korean Cheonan ship and shelled Yeongyeong island.

Unlike North Korea, China hasn't harmed any South Koreans. Those South Koreans are irrational. In the end, North Koreans may destroy South Koreans. And yet, the stupid South Koreans don't realize who is their real enemy.

 

[Fanling Monk]

Sometimes fear and jealousy can also produce negative sentiments.


@ Boson

Certainly Chinese have no love for the US government. It's the old myth of the 'Gold mountain' that we long for. A vast unpopulated promise land with golden opportunities in contrast to China, an overpopulated land full of mountains that contain no gold.

But alas, opportunities are no longer there anymore as they have more people out of work than China proportional. Stay home, my advice, you have much better chance of getting a job especially if you have no language and no technical skills.

 

[Boson]

North Koreans have butchered South Koreans. China hasn't done anything.

The South Koreans will quickly change their minds when North Korea unleashes its artillery or nuclear bomb on Seoul.

It's amazing to me that South Koreans dislike Chinese more than North Koreans. In the last two years, North Korea sank the South Korean Cheonan ship and shelled Yeongyeong island.

Unlike North Korea, China hasn't harmed any South Koreans. Those South Koreans are irrational. In the end, North Koreans may destroy South Koreans. And yet, the stupid South Koreans don't realize who is their real enemy.

You are behaving like a true chinese .... which was anyway expected.

Just like Russia (read Soviet Union) had the most to lose if East and West Germany united.

China has the most the most to lose when North and South Korea unite .... still, it's only a matter of another "Berlin wall" collapsing. Only a blind man will miss the parallel between the stresses which existed in East Germany, and those which exist in North Korea today.

Honestly, when next "Berlin wall" collapses, china won't be worrying about how a united Korea goes ahead .... but what's happening to china itself, as a result of the trigger provided by the "Berlin Wall" collapsing.

Thinking from china's point to view .... the way to prevent your "berlin wall" is to give lots of money to North Korea so that it can survive .... else, you know... North Korean civilians are marching southwards to unite with their southern brothers.. stamping over the north korean monarchy.

Ironically, china also loses a lot if Pakistan, India and Bangladesh shake hands .... but no realistic amount of money is flowing to either Pakistan or North Korea. (Possibly because china's top cover looks as sweet as the Soviet union at it's peak, but with hollow internals). Some time back, chinese posters themselves kept repeating, "There will be social instability in China if it doesn't grow above 8%. So, 8% is a survival necessity." Well, it's time they revisited their own claims and make up their mind about the future.

 

[Mercenary]

North Koreans are the same people as South Koreans.

Japan ruled Korea for 50 years so obviously there is animosity between them.

And China is seen as a rising power which will seek to dominate the Koreas so there is obviously dislike for them.

So the poll results are understandable.

 

[Bharthi]

Its time for Japan and korea to develop nukes.

 

[SinoChallenger]

Not surprising. The Japanese enslaved Koreans for 50 years and now they are taking back their Takeshima island. Good thing Japan always attacks Koreans first whenever they expand.

 

[beijingwalker]

It is not that. Japan is seen as the biggest rival of Korea, where as Koreans see China as being culturally unsophisticated

Koreans have culture?Korean culture is sub Chinese culture.

 

[Snomannen]

Koreans have culture?Korean culture is sub Chinese culture.

Please don't say sth like this here...