Poll: Japan favors security over economy in S. Korean ties

A new joint public opinion survey conducted in Japan and South Korea reveals differing priorities between the two nations regarding areas where future cooperation would be most beneficial.
When asked to select the field bilateral cooperation should focus on, 34 percent of Japanese respondents chose security, while the most common response among South Koreans was the economy, at 37 percent.
The poll was carried out by The Asahi Shimbun and South Korea's Dong-A Ilbo, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two Asian neighbors.
In Japan, security was followed by the economy at 28 percent, historical issues at 24 percent and responses to the aging population and declining birthrates at 8 percent.
Next to economic cooperation, South Korean respondents ranked historical reconciliation at 28 percent, followed by national defense at 20 percent and demographic challenges at 12 percent.
The survey was conducted via telephone in both countries and follows up a similar joint poll from 2015.
Although the previous Japanese poll was conducted via mail and is not directly comparable, this year's results show a notable improvement in perceptions of bilateral relations.
The percentage of Japanese respondents who believe relations are 'going well' rose by 22 points to 29 percent. In South Korea, it increased by 23 points to 26 percent.
Meanwhile, the percentage of those who disagreed with that view dropped significantly in both countries, falling by 36 points to 50 percent in Japan and by 31 points to 59 percent in South Korea.
Concerns about North Korea's nuclear program remains high in both countries, though the intensity differs.
Eighty-two percent of Japanese respondents said they feel 'very' or 'somewhat' concerned compared to 52 percent in South Korea. Meanwhile, 17 percent of Japanese and 48 percent of South Koreans said they feel 'limited' or 'no' concern.
The idea of strengthening defense cooperation between Japan and South Korea received majority support in both nations, with 56 percent in Japan and 60 percent in South Korea in favor. Opposition stood at 30 percent and 37 percent, respectively.
Although Japan and South Korea are not in a formal security alliance, they are increasingly participating in joint military drills within multilateral frameworks. These are typically led by the United States, which is the primary ally of both countries.
On the economic front, both populations expressed a strong preference for ties with the United States over China.
In Japan, 80 percent said relations with the United States are more important while 77 percent of South Koreans agreed. Only 11 percent of Japanese and 14 percent of South Koreans prioritized relations with China.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Kyodo News

40 minutes ago

• Kyodo News

Travel firm Agoda urged to improve business after booking troubles

KYODO NEWS - 9 minutes ago - 21:36 | All, Japan The Japan Tourism Agency has urged the Japanese arm of online travel agency Agoda Company Pte. to improve its business practices due to booking problems, a source familiar with the matter said Monday. In March, the agency asked Agoda International Japan to address problems including repeated cases of travelers arriving at hotels to find no record of their paid bookings. In some instances, the reservation details provided to hotels were incorrect. The following month, the company submitted a list of measures to the agency outlining how it would address the booking issues, but some hotel operators in Japan said the problems were still occurring as of June. Based in Singapore, Agoda, a subsidiary of the world's leading online travel service provider, Booking Holdings Inc., provides services in 39 languages and employs staff in 27 markets, according to the company. If the company fails to implement drastic measures, the Japanese government may impose administrative penalties, the source said. Toyoko Inn Co., which operates a major hotel chain in Japan, warned travelers on its website on June 16 about booking issues involving Agoda and its partner firms. It cited cases of incorrect room types and reservation dates, as well as instances where rooms were listed on Agoda at significantly higher prices than those set by the hotels. Toyoko Inn said various issues have arisen from the resale of rooms by Agoda's partner companies and that travelers must contact those firms directly to resolve problems, including reservation cancellations. The hotel operator issued the warning after failing to resolve the booking issues through discussions with Agoda. "Our customer care team swiftly and appropriately responds to solve problems whenever trouble arises," the Tokyo-based Agoda International Japan said. Related coverage: No. of Golden Week holidaymakers to drop 6.9% as inflation bites 3 Japan airports to use unified gates for immigration, customs checks

an hour ago

Japan Rice Price Falls below 4,000 Yen, 1st since March

News from Japan Society Jun 23, 2025 20:58 (JST) Tokyo, June 23 (Jiji Press)--The average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan in the week through June 15 stood at 3,920 yen per 5 kilograms, slipping below 4,000 yen for the first time since the week ended March 2, the agriculture ministry said Monday. The average price was down by 256 yen from the previous week, declining for the 4th straight week and marking the first drop exceeding 100 yen since March 2022, when the ministry started releasing weekly rice prices. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had aimed to push down rice prices to the 3,000-4,000-yen range by as early as mid-June. The significant drop likely reflected the distribution of government stockpiled rice released under discretionary contracts. Despite the fall, the average rice price was still 1,772 yen higher than that of a year earlier. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press

2 hours ago

Ex-MUFG Bank Worker Defrauds Customer of 39.84 M. Yen

News from Japan Jun 23, 2025 19:51 (JST) Tokyo, June 23 (Jiji Press)--MUFG Bank said Monday that a former employee in his 60s has defrauded a customer out of 39.84 million yen by suggesting fictitious financial products and issuing forged deposit receipts. The Niigata District Public Prosecutors Office indicted the former worker at the major Japanese bank's Niigata branch for allegedly forging and using private documents the same day, after the bank filed a criminal complaint against him last November. The bank has already compensated the customer. The former worker solicited the customer to purchase fictitious financial products and defrauded the victim out of cash several times outside the branch between June 2007 and September 2016, according to the bank. He was in charge of over-the-counter general affairs and was not engaged in operations to sell financial products. The fraud came to light in August 2024 after the branch received a consultation from the customer after the worker's retirement. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press