Generational opinion embodies alliance's travails

Korea and its long-standing ally, the United States, share a complicated relationship, a fact reflected in changing public sentiment toward the United States. In the 1980s through the early 2000s, older people who experienced the Korean War ...

[YONHAP]

Alliance at year 70: Last in a four-part seriesIn light of the shifting geopolitical situation and growing risk factors in the region, the alliance between South Korea and the United States has transformed and evolved over the past 70 years. The Korea-U.S. alliance now stands at a crossroads as it marks its 70th anniversary and the relationship advances into a more global and comprehensive partnership. In a four-part series, the Korea JoongAng Daily will examine the various challenges faced by the allies in terms of diplomatic, security, economic and people-to-people cooperation and discuss possible ways forward. – Ed.

Korea and its long-standing ally, the United States, share a complicated relationship, a fact reflected in changing public sentiment toward the United States.

In the 1980s through the early 2000s, older people who experienced the Korean War demonstrated stronger support for the United States, while the younger people were more resentful and sometimes outright hostile.

However, polls today suggest that Koreans in all age groups have grown more positively disposed toward the United States in recent years.

According to a poll conducted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a Seoul-based think tank, published last May, on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most favorable, the Korean public’s favorability toward the United States was 6.85. Just a decade ago, it was 5.55.

Koreans in their 60s were most favorable at 7.34 points, and though Koreans in their 20s scored the lowest at 6.35, they were nevertheless favorably inclined to the United States.

Even middle-aged Koreans in their 40s and 50 who have been historically hostile toward the United States are now positively inclined to the country, scoring a 6.63 in 2022.

“Many factors, including less travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, may have been involved in the lower favorability of younger Koreans toward the United States, but the difference is very minimal,” James Kim, a senior researcher at the Asan Institute, said, adding that the difference is within the margin of error.

Pragmatic views of the young

Kim Yeon-song, 26, said she knows the United States occupies a significant place in Korea's social, political and economic life.

“But that doesn’t mean that I have a very positive view of the country,” Kim Yeon-song said.

“I have always reacted sensitively to racist attacks that occurred in the United States,” she said, adding she grew up in the United States.

“Despite these controversial and tragic events, I still support the relationship between Korea and the United States just because the alliance helps Korea, particularly the country’s economy.”

Social media is another factor that influences young Koreans' view of the United States.

“I believe that the so-called MZ generation perceives the relationship between Korea and the United States more negatively than our parent's generation,” Lee Ji-woo, a 20-year-old university student, said.

The "MZ generation" refers to millennials and Gen Z, also known as "zoomers," who grew up using smartphones.

“The downsides of the United States, such as mass shootings and racist attacks against Asians, are some of the contributing factors that affect our views toward it since the younger generation is more exposed to social media.”

The number of anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States rose from 158 in 2019 to 274 in 2020, up 73 percent, FBI data shows.

“But I still believe the two countries should maintain and further strengthen their relationship in terms of politics and society,” Lee said.

Kim Ga-hyeon, 26, an office worker in Mapo District, western Seoul, added that the economy is the biggest reason to support the alliance between the two countries.

“I do not have a strong opinion on the relationship between Korea and the United States, but I still do not think we should damage the relationship that we have well established so far,” she said.

“Many industries and even parts of our everyday lives are connected to the U.S.”

Customers stand in line at an Apple store in Myeong-dong, central Seoul on the first day of the sale of iPhone 14. [YONHAP]

According to Min Tae-eun, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), younger Koreans believe it is better to strengthen the bilateral relationship built over many years.

“In the case of younger people, the alliance between the two countries is more related to their economic and private lives, approaching the relationship from a more utilitarian point of view,” Min said.

“The alliance with the United States is seen more of a factor that improves their personal lives on the micro level," she added, "as they feel less threatened by attacks from the North than older people.”

Hostility of the past

People now in their 40s and 50s have felt the most severe hostility towards the United States. Nevertheless, even they are growing more favorably disposed toward the country.

Just five years ago, Korean nationals in their 40s demonstrated the lowest level of favorability toward the United States, scoring just 4.76 in 2017. By 2022, however, their favorability score had climbed to 6.63.

Experts believe the hostility grew prevalent in the 1980s after Koreans witnessed how the United States failed to prevent the bloody crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980.

“Anti-U.S. sentiment in Korea began in the 1980s and 1990s as those who were exposed to the deadly Gwangju uprising were collectively shocked at how the United States did not intervene,” Park Jung-hoon, a research professor at the Institute for East Asian Studies at Sogang University, said.

The shock at how the United States allegedly turned a blind eye to the bloody military crackdown was felt hard, particularly by Koreans in their 40s and 50s.

“People of my generation, particularly those who were involved in the pro-democracy movement, have had a strong antipathy toward the United States,” Cho Hyun-woo, a 55-year-old living in Yeouido, western Seoul, said.

“Many raged about how the United States lost a major chance to help and save Korea.”

However, Cho added that he has grown less hostile toward the United States over time as he began taking a less emotional view of the U.S. role in his home country.

Civic groups demand the withdrawal of United States Forces Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul on May 20, 2022. [YONHAP]

According to Park Jung-hoon, Koreans' anti-U.S. sentiment fell in the 1990s as the country went through post-war democratic reforms.

Hostility towards the U.S. briefly returned in the early 2000s, and even worsened “due to the Bush administration's unilateral and hostile policy against North Korea,” he said.

In 2002, massive candlelight protests took place following the tragic death of two Korean middle school students who were run over by a U.S. armored vehicle on a road in Yangju, Gyeonggi.

The public’s uproar escalated after the driver and commander of the vehicle were cleared of charges in a U.S. military trial.

This was when many Koreans first became aware of the Status of Forces Agreement between Korea and the United States, which gives the U.S. military jurisdiction over U.S. soldiers who commit crimes while on duty in Korea, a provision widely viewed as unfair in Korea.

Even people who were in school at the time were heavily affected by the public anger.

“Even though I was only an elementary school student in 2002, I remember singing songs that described the United States negatively with my friends,” a 30-year-old office worker in Songpa District, southern Seoul, said.

“I did not have any political judgment back then, but I remember not liking the U.S. just because everyone else disliked it. That was how bad it was.”

The deaths of two teenagers who were run above by a U.S. armored vehicle in 2002 sparked serious anti-U.S. sentiment. [JOONGANG ILBO]

From strong hostility to stronger favorability

The antagonism from the tragedy did not last long, however.

According to the Asan Institute, Koreans have consistently demonstrated high favorability toward the United States since 2010, in contrast to the early 2000s, when anti-U.S. sentiment rose due to the 2002 armored vehicle incident and other issues, including the protests against imported U.S. beef in 2008.

“There may have been cases when Koreans’ favorability toward the United States dropped due to certain U.S. policy decisions, but these drops have been temporary in recent years,” said Kim, the Asan Institute’s senior researcher.

Older Koreans who experienced the Korean War were the most favorably inclined toward the United States since they believe the country has protected them from North Korea.

“Korea is how it is right now thanks to help from the United States,” said Ahn Jung-hee, a 78-year-old living in Seocho District, southern Seoul.

“We are safe because the United States helped us, and the U.S. Army is deployed here.”

According to Park Ihn-hwi, an international relations professor at Ewha Womans University, people who experienced the Korean War and were exposed to threats from North Korea during the 1960s and 1970s may be more profoundly attached to the alliance with the United States.

“Threats to national security” was another factor driving support for the alliance between the two countries, especially among older Koreans, the KINU researcher said.

Experts, however, point out that young Koreans may view the United States in a significantly different way from their grandparents who experienced the Korean War, or their parents who took part in the pro-democracy movement against U.S.-backed military dictators.

“Unlike the generations who experienced the pro-democracy Gwangju uprising and the war, the younger generation may have a different perspective toward the United States because they are exposed to different amounts and types of information about the country,” Park from Sogang University’s Institute for East Asian Studies said.

The 30-year-old office worker who requested anonymity said unlike when he was young, when he resented the United States, he now strongly supports the country’s relationship with the United States after realizing how significant a role the country plays in Korea.

“After serving in the military, I realized that the United States has a vital role in protecting our country,” he added.

“Strong military” was the first thing that came to mind when respondents thought of the United States, according to the Asan report in 2022.

A person holds a picket calling for the strengthening of the alliance between Korea and the United States at a park in Jongno District, central Seoul on Aug. 14, 2006. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Another factor: China

Growing anti-Chinese sentiment in recent years is another contributing factor encouraging stronger support towards the alliance with the United States.

“Worsened sentiment toward China may have driven the rising favorability toward the United States,” Park of Sogang University’s Institute for East Asian Studies said, referring to the escalating hostility between the two countries since Korea decided to host the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) in 2017.

“It now seems like a question of which of the two giants you support: the United States or China?”

According to the Pew Research Center, 89 percent of Koreans showed favorability toward the United States in 2022. This was up 12 percent from the previous year.

Pew Research Center’s 2022 survey also found that 80 percent of Koreans were unfavorable toward China.

That’s 3 percentage points higher than in 2021, with dislike of China in Korea nearly as high as in other major countries like the United States at 82 percent and Japan at 87 percent.

Animosity towards China has gradually risen. Unfavorability toward China was just 37 percent in 2015.

However, this does not mean Koreans fully trust the United States.

After reports emerged that the U.S. government wiretapped conversations between high-ranking Korean officials, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s popularity dropped to 27 percent in a survey by Gallup Korea.

It was the first time his popularity fell below 30 percent since hitting 29 percent in November.

Despite the recent wiretapping scandal, experts say positive favorability toward the United States will likely continue.

“Korea has passed beyond the stage of expressing strong anti-U.S. sentiment, and this is unlikely to change,” said Kim, the Asan Institute’s senior researcher.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]