Clipart Korea
Many South Koreans see the two countries’ overall economic strength as roughly equal but believe their own living standards have surpassed Japan’s, a survey showed. In a comparison across 13 major industries, South Korea was judged ahead in nine.
Now&Survey, an online polling platform run by Elimnet, released the findings on the 13th to mark the 81st anniversary of Korea’s liberation. The survey, titled “Koreans’ Perceptions of Japan,” polled 1,007 people aged 20 and older nationwide over four days from the 7th to the 10th. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
On living standards, 37.2% of respondents said South Korea’s were higher, against 23.3% who said Japan’s were higher — a gap of 13.9 percentage points. On overall national economic strength, 33.5% said South Korea was stronger and 30.0% said Japan was, a margin of just 3.5 percentage points, while the largest share, 36.5%, said the two were about the same.
More than half, 51.9%, said South Korea’s economy would overtake Japan’s within 10 years, 3.7 times the 14.0% who said Japan would pull ahead.
For industrial competitiveness, respondents used a five-point scale on which 1 favored Japan and 5 favored South Korea. Semiconductors scored highest at 4.25. Cultural content, at 4.07, and shipbuilding and marine industries, at 4.01, also topped 4 points and were classed as areas of Korean advantage. AI and software (3.73), rechargeable batteries (3.72), electronics and home appliances (3.71), defense (3.59), bio and healthcare (3.26), and automobiles and mobility (3.24) were also rated in South Korea’s favor, giving the country the edge in nine of the 13 industries.
Basic science and core technology, by contrast, scored 2.69 — the only one of the 13 industries rated in Japan’s favor. In technology-based sectors such as advanced materials, components and equipment (3.17), precision machinery and robotics (3.17) and aerospace (3.09), the gap between the two countries was found to be small. Unlike the high marks South Korea drew in finished products and content, more respondents acknowledged Japan’s lead in basic science and core technology.
Apart from competition, there was broad agreement on the need for cooperation. Seven in 10 respondents, or 70.0%, said South Korea and Japan should expand economic cooperation to sustain the country’s growth, while just 4.2% disagreed.
Asked about South Korea’s greatest achievement since liberation, respondents ranked economic growth first at 49.4%. The global spread of K-content came second at 31.0%, ahead of industrialization and export growth (29.7%) and the development of democracy (27.0%).