Support for Korean unification has gradually declined among the South Korean public, and research suggests this is primarily driven by awareness of the enormous costs associated with a presumably South Korean-led absorption of North Korea.

While a majority still support Korean unification – the Korean General Social Survey found support rates over 70% in surveys conducted between 2003 and 2018 – other public opinion research found that support declined by approximately 15% from 2007 to 2017.