SEOUL, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Fewer South Koreans than ever say their country should reunify with North Korea, according to a new survey released Monday, reflecting a growing acceptance of permanent division and deepening public indifference toward the North.
Just 49% of South Koreans said unification is necessary, the survey by the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification found. The figure represents a drop of 3.8% from last year and marks the lowest level since the Seoul-based think tank began its annual poll in 2014.
It is the first time support has fallen below a majority, representing what researchers called a "structural shift" in how South Koreans view the decades-old goal of national reunification.
"These results suggest that perceptions of the necessity of unification have entered a phase of structural change, rather than short-term fluctuation," the report's executive summary said. "The decline appears to reflect the compounded effects of North Korea's hostile 'two-states' claim, the continued suspension of inter-Korean relations and domestic political dynamics."
KINU noted that the decline cuts across all age groups but is most pronounced among younger generations, many of whom see North Korea as a separate state rather than part of a divided homeland.
