36% were in favor, while 19% said they didn’t know or declined to answer
Representatives of 601 civic and social groups in Korea gathered on the steps of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul to oppose a potential deployment to the Strait of Hormuz and to condemn US pressure for deployments. (Yonhap)
A plurality of South Koreans oppose the government’s proposed deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz, with 45% against the plan and 36% in favor, according to a poll released Thursday. The National Barometer Survey, conducted by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research, found that opposition outpaced support for a proposal to deploy a maritime patrol aircraft and a military support vessel to the strategic waterway. Meanwhile, 19% of respondents said they did not know or declined to answer. Opposition was particularly strong among supporters of the ruling Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party, with 55% and 67%, respectively, saying they opposed the deployment. Among supporters of the top opposition People Power Party, 46% backed the deployment, while 40% opposed it. Among independent voters, 32% supported the plan and 37% opposed it. By age group, opposition was highest among respondents in their 50s and 40s, at 59% and 54%, respectively. Among those in their 30s, 47% opposed the deployment, compared with 27% who supported it. Among respondents aged 29 and under, support was higher, at 40%, while 22% opposed the plan. Thirty-seven percent in the age group said they did not know or declined to answer. The survey polled 1,002 Koreans aged 18 and older via telephone interviews from Monday to Wednesday. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission. By Lee Ji-eun, staff reporter Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
