Examination of Public Perception of Nuclear Weapons in the Republic of Korea

Recent research on the public perception on the use of nuclear weapons, conducted in nuclear-weapon states like the United States, shows significant correlation between the perception of nuclear weapons and the demographic characteristics and socio-economic backgrounds of the respondents. However, studies on the details of perception of nuclear weapon by the public in non-nuclear-weapon states are generally lacking, except for some simple surveys on the public support for nuclear weapons in countries like Iran or the Republic of Korea (ROK). In this study, a series of detailed surveys on the perception of various nuclear issues by the South Korean public, including nuclear weapon, nuclear energy, and nuclear sovereignty was conducted. The possible effects of nonproliferation education in order to affect pre-existing perception were also examined. The outcomes of this study provide a more comprehensive picture of nuclear weapon perception in South Korea and can be useful to understand the impact of constructive nonproliferation education and transparent discussions on nuclear subjects.