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.

This decline appears to be driven at least partially by economic concerns. While estimates on the cost of unification range, most estimates suggest that South Koreans would