A majority of South Koreans now say unification with North Korea is “unnecessary,” according to a major new survey, marking the first time that support for unification has fallen below 50%.

The 2025 survey by the state-affiliated Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) also found that an even larger number think unification is unnecessary “if peaceful coexistence can be maintained.”

The results align with Lee Jae-myung’s policy messaging emphasizing peaceful coexistence, a step-by-step approach to the DPRK’s denuclearization and respect for North Korea’s system, explicitly rejecting “unification by absorption.”

They also come as Pyongyang has denouncedthe goal of reunification