75% of Americans think denuclearization deal with NK important: poll

Three out of 4 Americans think it is “very important” or “important” for the US to reach an agreement with North Korea on dismantling the North’s nuclear weapons, a survey of 1,000 American adults conducted earlier this month showed.

Responses were consistent across political lines, with both Republicans (84 percent) and Democrats (79 percent) favoring an agreement, according to the poll conducted May 6 through 10 by the Korea Economic Institute of America, a Washington-based think tank.

Also, 61 percent of the respondents said it was important for the US and South Korea to cooperate on North Korea-related issues and 69 percent said the US should follow South Korea’s lead in denuclearization talks with North Korea, the institute said in a report published last Friday, the day President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden held their first face-to-face summit in Washington.

In its annual report on American attitudes toward the US-South Korea alliance and North Korea policy, the institute said 57 percent of the respondents saw North Korea as an “adversary.” Other adversaries identified in the survey were Russia (52 percent), China (48 percent) and Iran (48 percent).

Forty-four percent of the respondents said South Korea was a “critical partner.” Other critical partners mentioned included Canada (70 percent), the UK (67 percent), Japan (50 percent), Australia (47 percent), Mexico (47 percent) and Israel (46 percent).

Only 37 percent of the respondents said the US should play a role in reducing tensions between South Korea and Japan, with 28 percent saying the US should play no role and 34 percent saying they were not sure.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)