One in two South Koreans think the United States’ importance as a world leader is declining compared to the previous decade, a new survey showed on Tuesday, even as most support prioritizing the alliance with Washington above other relationships, including with North Korea.

The fall 2021 survey from the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), a research institute under the South Korean Prime Minister's Office, also showed that South Koreans continue to prefer U.S. military presence over their country acquiring nuclear weapons.