South Korean passengers line up for customs clearance inside the immigration inspection hall in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province, on 19 October, 2026. Photo: VCG

Nearly three-quarters of South Koreans support developing relations with China, while more than 80 percent back bilateral economic and trade cooperation, according to a Gallup Korea survey commissioned by the Chinese Embassy in South Korea that was released on Friday.

Conducted from October 1 to 7, the survey polled 1,000 South Koreans across different age groups, genders, regions and political leanings. The findings showed that 73.8 percent supported the development of bilateral relations, with 35.5 percent hoping for closer ties. Support for economic and trade cooperation stood at 80.8 percent, with 44.2 percent hoping to further deepen such cooperation.

Science and technology cooperation also drew broad support: 72.4 percent backed cooperation in these fields, while 37.9 percent wanted it to deepen. Meanwhile, 74.3 percent wanted South Korea to maintain a balance between China and the US, and 46.1 percent said they would consider traveling to China. 

"This poll shows a positive shift in South Koreans' attitudes toward China, broadly consistent with our impressions from day-to-day engagement with people across South Korean society," Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing wrote in a signed article published by Yonhap News on Friday.

It indicates that, encouraged by reciprocal visits by the leaders of the two countries and the joint efforts of various sectors in both countries, support for relations and mutually beneficial cooperation with China has become a broad consensus among the South Korean public, Dai wrote. "South Koreans' expectations for China-South Korea cooperation stem from the deep ties that bind our interests."

"The findings are unsurprising. The view that China is important and cooperation is necessary has long been mainstream in South Korean society, and the poll underscores that consensus," Zhan Debin, director and professor of the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Friday. 

Zhan also noted that sustained US pressure and recent frictions between Washington and Seoul over security, economic and technological cooperation have sharpened South Koreans' awareness of the value of cooperation with China.

China has been South Korea's largest trading partner for 22 consecutive years, while South Korea is China's second-largest trading partner country and a major source of foreign investment. According to Chinese statistics, bilateral trade reached $385.8 billion in the first nine months of this year, exceeding last year's full-year total and representing a year-on-year increase of 59.3 percent. 

The survey also found that 69.8 percent formed their perceptions of China through news and social media. It identified negative public discourse concerning China, differences in political systems and specific bilateral disputes as the main obstacles affecting perceptions of China.

Zhan also noted that biased reporting and malicious smear campaigns against China by certain South Korean media and online influencers hinder people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries. 

Strengthening people-to-people ties requires consistent, positive signals from higher-level interactions, alongside measures such as visa exemptions to encourage travel and exchanges, deepen understanding and build public support for bilateral relations, said the expert. 

In the signed article, Dai also noted that "we hope media outlets in both countries will fulfill their responsibilities by reporting objectively on each other, approaching differences rationally, promptly refuting rumors and opposing political manipulation."

China and South Korea are neighbors who cannot move away from each other and partners who cannot be separated, the Chinese envoy said. "We look forward to both sides building on this momentum to deepen cooperation, strengthen friendship and take the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a new level."