But clear majority says aid must stop
A survey found that 49.6 percent of South Koreans want inter-Korean economic projects to remain in place, while 46.6 percent want their government to immediately stop the projects amid the United Nations Security Council’s approval for a sanction against North Korea’s nuclear test. However, 60.8 percent, or 304 people, said the government should stop its shipments of humanitarian aid such as food and fertilizer to North Korea in the wake of the U.N. resolution, while 37 percent opposed the idea. The survey had margin of error of 4.4 percent, meaning that it is unclear exactly how divided South Koreans are on the issue of inter-Korean projects: society could be evenly split down the middle, or a larger amount supporting the projects than the numbers recorded. According to the Hankyoreh-commissioned survey of 500 adults nationwide, conducted by Research Plus, a private research firm, 248 people answered that their government should continue inter-Korean economic cooperation projects despite the U.N. Security Council’s sanction, while 233 people said the government should immediately halt the projects. The largest of these projects are the Gaeseong (Kaesong) Industrial Complex and the Mt. Geumgamg (Kumgang) tour program.Asked about next year’s economic outlook following the North’s tests, 68.4 percent, or 342 people, answered that the economy would be worse than expected, with 15 percent predicting the economy would significantly deteriorate. Slightly less than 30 percent foresaw little impact. In a separate question, 71.2 percent said the government should take aggressive measures to boost the economy. About 55.2 percent, or 295 people, said they would curb their spending next year in the wake of the North’s nuclear crisis, compared with 43.8 percent who said their budgets would remain unchanged. However, 59 percent answered their income would not be affected by the North’s nuclear test, compared with 40.4 percent who thought their income might fall next year. Ten percent said they would transfer their assets to foreign countries. Lim Sang-ryeol, president of Research Plus, said, "In the wake of the North Korean nuclear crisis, concerns over an economic slowdown are growing, but people’s reaction has so far been generally calm on the matter."
