hankyoreh

South Koreans showed a conservative outlook in areas of foreign policy and the economy, while they expressed a progressive attitude in terms of social policy, according to a recent survey.

Since 2002, The Hankyoreh and the Korea Social Science Data Center have conducted a biennial survey about people’s ideological attitude. This year’s survey interviewed 1,000 adults nationwide between May 3-5, and comes in the midst of preparations for the presidential election in December.

In terms of the economy, respondents said they believe a focus should be put on growth instead of redistribution. They also preferred a laissez-faire attitude rather than market regulations. A full 78.3 percent of respondents said the government should focus on growth, rather than on redistribution. Since 2002, respondents have increasingly believed that growth is more important than redistribution, given the rates of respondents who chose growth as the necessary focus (68.9 percent in 2002, 72.9 percent in 2004, and 78.7 percent in 2006).

In terms of relations with North Korea, South Koreans showed a growing conservatism. Support for aid to North Korea has been gradually diminishing, with more than half of the respondents in the latest survey expressing opposition to such programs. Last year, 53.5 percent answered that they supported humanitarian economic aid to North Korea, but this rate plunged to 39 percent this year. The support rate for aid to North Korea was 56.8 percent in 2004 and 58.9 percent in 2002.

In addition, 40.4 percent said South Korea should follow the U.S.’s stance in matters regarding security of the Korean peninsula, even if the U.S. holds views different from those of the South Korean government on the matter. In 2002, only 20 percent answered that the U.S.’s North Korean policy should be followed.

The survey showed South Koreans had a higher level of common understanding of policies aimed at helping the socially underprivileged, such as contract employees and illegal immigrant workers. A full 79.1 percent said they support a potential plan to transition part-time or short-term contract workers into regular employees, while 20.9 percent opposed the plan. Asked about whether to guarantee human rights of foreign workers in South Korea, though it would be economically disadvantageous, 82.8 percent said they supported the idea, while 17.2 percent opposed it. More than half of respondents - 54.9 percent - said they supported a plan to increase subsidies for the poor by collecting more taxes. Regarding last year’s introduction of a comprehensive property tax - which levies more tax on more than 600 million won homes, aimed to curb real-estate speculation in high income areas - 69.2 percent said they supported the tax.

In addition, the survey showed 68 percent supported the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, while the remaining 32 percent opposed it. By profession, 56.5 percent of farmers and fishermen, who are expected to be damaged by the agreement, opposed the free trade pact, while 78.8 percent of self-employed adult Koreans supported it.

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