[Photo] Progressives and conservatives sharply divided on inter-Korean relations

According to a survey conducted by Hankook Research, more South Koreans believe that inter-Korean relations and North Korea’s denuclearization will not work out as planned. The survey, conducted from May 2 to 3, revealed that 50.6% of participants had a pessimistic outlook on inter-Korean relations, compared to the 45.8% who had an optimistic outlook. Furthermore, 70.1% of people who had a positive outlook identified with progressive politics, while 72.9% of those with a negative outlook identified as conservative, revealing a deep rift in perspective based on political ideology. People in their 30s (60%) and 40s (65.1%) were optimistic about inter-Korean relations while all other age groups were pessimistic; those in their 20s (55.1%) actually turned out to be more pessimistic than those in their 50s (54.2%).