Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
KOREA TIMES POLL Strengthening US alliance is top foreign policy priority
Graphic by The Korea Times
By Jung Min-ho
Public expects liberal government to engage more with North Korea
Strengthening South Korea’s alliance with the United States should be the top foreign policy priority of the Lee Jae-myung administration, according to a recent poll commissioned by The Korea Times.
In the poll conducted by Hankook Research at the request of The Korea Times, 49 percent of 1,000 respondents said bolstering ties with the ally as the top foreign policy issue the new president should focus on.
Strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance was especially important among conservatives, with 75 percent of the major conservative People Power Party (PPP) supporters and 67 percent of the minor right-wing Reform Party supporters saying so in their responses.
Graphic by The Korea Times
Even among supporters of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), 30 percent said they think focusing on that issue is the most important.
However, DPK supporters said improving relations with China is almost as important as the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which 29 percent picking it as the top priority. PPP and Reform Party supporters did not see improving relations with China as an important task.
Among all respondents, boosting multilateral diplomacy ― through international groups like the G7 and the NATO ― came in second at 20 percent, followed by improving ties with China at 18 percent and resolving historical disputes with Japan at 10 percent.
Graphic by The Korea Times
Asked what the administration’s top North Korea priority should be, the respondents cited improving inter-Korean relations by resuming talks, as the relationship has been at its lowest level during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
Resuming inter-Korean exchanges was supported by the most, 29 percent, while another 26 percent said they believe resuming denuclearization talks should be the top priority.
Yet, many maintained a hard-line stance toward the North, as 20 percent called for the need to strengthen military deterrence and 17 percent wanted to maintain the tough stance on Pyongyang adopted by the former Yoon administration.
Among those who voted for Lee in the presidential election, 41 percent said they believe increasing inter-Korean exchanges, including humanitarian support for North Korean people, should be the top priority, followed by resuming denuclearization talks at 28 percent, maintaining the uncompromising stance on the regime at 13 percent and reinforcing deterrence at 12 percent.
President Lee Jae-myung visits the headquarters of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
The survey results come as the administration moves to fill key posts to set the direction of its foreign and security policies over the next five years.
On Wednesday, Lee named Wi Sung-lac as his first national security adviser. Wi, 70, served as special representative for the Korean Peninsula’s peace and security affairs for two years starting in February 2009 before becoming South Korea’s ambassador to Moscow between 2011 and 2015, when North Korea was going through its leadership change following the death of Kim Jong-il, the father of current leader Kim Jong-un.
In another major announcement, Lee Jong-seok was tapped to become the director of the National Intelligence Service. Lee, 67, built his career as a North Korea researcher before serving as a member of the National Security Council and a unification minister during the Roh Moo-hyun government. He was a strong advocate for the Sunshine Policy adopted by the former Kim Dae-jung administration that focused on engagement and humanitarian assistance.
During his election campaign, the president made it clear that he would make changes to current foreign policy positions, including an improvement in relations with Beijing and the restoration of communication between Seoul and Pyongyang.
The Korea Times commissioned the survey to gauge public sentiment. Hankook Research surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide in phone interviews on Wednesday and Thursday. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, with a credibility rate of 95 percent. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website.