By Lee Hyo-sik
Koreans are of two minds about China.
On one hand, they are happy to see relations with Beijing flourishing thanks to a rising number of Chinese tourists and soaring bilateral trade.
But, they still hold a negative view of China-made products, saying that they are low in quality.
''China has become really important for Korea,'' said an office worker in Seoul, surnamed Kim. ''The world's fastest-growing economy is Korea's largest trading partner and is the largest investment destination for domestic companies.''
Since the two countries signed a diplomatic agreement in August 1992, the bilateral trade has been growing at an explosive pace.
China now is Korea's largest export destination, as over 25 percent of its outbound shipments head to the mainland.
However, Kim still views China-made products negatively, particularly food items. ''Even though the quality of Chinese goods has improved, I am still reluctant to use them. When I went to China, I was really nervous about eating food there.''
Another office worker in Seoul, surnamed Kim, agreed that she does not fully trust the quality of Chinese products. ''I still hold a perception that Chinese goods are cheap and low in quality. In addition, the Chinese are noisy in public and have bad manners. However, we need to attract more Chinese visitors and boost exchange with them because China is important for us.
''I know that China is important in our effort to stop North Korea from abandoning its nuclear program and achieve unification with the North. But this does not touch me in everyday life. These days, Chinese tourists are everywhere in Seoul. This makes me think China is important for Korea.''
These overall views are reflected in a recent survey by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
Nearly 61 percent of the respondents view China as a constructive partner, up from 32.7 percent in a similar survey in December 2013.
About 62 percent said they don't want to buy products when they are told they are made in China, while 80.6 percent said they don't trust Chinese food items because of safety concerns.
About 54 percent said the No. 1 bilateral issue is North Korea's nuclear development program, while 82.4 percent said Korea needs China to build peace on the Korean Peninsula and achieve unification.
Koreans are of two minds about China.
On one hand, they are happy to see relations with Beijing flourishing thanks to a rising number of Chinese tourists and soaring bilateral trade.
But, they still hold a negative view of China-made products, saying that they are low in quality.
''China has become really important for Korea,'' said an office worker in Seoul, surnamed Kim. ''The world's fastest-growing economy is Korea's largest trading partner and is the largest investment destination for domestic companies.''
Since the two countries signed a diplomatic agreement in August 1992, the bilateral trade has been growing at an explosive pace.
China now is Korea's largest export destination, as over 25 percent of its outbound shipments head to the mainland.
However, Kim still views China-made products negatively, particularly food items. ''Even though the quality of Chinese goods has improved, I am still reluctant to use them. When I went to China, I was really nervous about eating food there.''
Another office worker in Seoul, surnamed Kim, agreed that she does not fully trust the quality of Chinese products. ''I still hold a perception that Chinese goods are cheap and low in quality. In addition, the Chinese are noisy in public and have bad manners. However, we need to attract more Chinese visitors and boost exchange with them because China is important for us.
''I know that China is important in our effort to stop North Korea from abandoning its nuclear program and achieve unification with the North. But this does not touch me in everyday life. These days, Chinese tourists are everywhere in Seoul. This makes me think China is important for Korea.''
These overall views are reflected in a recent survey by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
Nearly 61 percent of the respondents view China as a constructive partner, up from 32.7 percent in a similar survey in December 2013.
About 62 percent said they don't want to buy products when they are told they are made in China, while 80.6 percent said they don't trust Chinese food items because of safety concerns.
About 54 percent said the No. 1 bilateral issue is North Korea's nuclear development program, while 82.4 percent said Korea needs China to build peace on the Korean Peninsula and achieve unification.
