1 in 7 willing to fight if war breaks out: survey

As tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula, a recent survey shows that just some 1 in 7 people here would be willing to participate in a war if conflict erupts.

According to a survey released Thursday by opposition Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Hwang Hee, 13.9 percent of respondents said they would join the war effort. The survey, conducted by the Korean National Defense University in 2023, involved 1,200 people aged 18 to 75. The figure has dropped from 22.7 percent in 2014 and 20.9 percent in 2020.

However, 48.2 percent of respondents said they would “support the military from the rear, even if they cannot participate directly,” the highest rate recorded since the survey began in 2014. Additionally, 27.3 percent of respondents said they would flee to a safer area within the country, while 3.2 percent indicated they would leave the country entirely.

Regarding South Korea’s security situation, 41.6 percent of respondents expressed concern. Specifically, 38.9 percent said they were “somewhat concerned,” while 2.7 percent reported being “very concerned.” On the other hand, 28.7 percent labeled it as “stable.” The percentage of those who were “somewhat” or “very concerned” rose by 10.7 percentage points from 2022, while those who felt it was “stable” dropped by 9.8 percentage points.