The South Korean government remains committed to reunification as the goal of its North Korea policy. But while the ROK population has long supported this, polls in recent years suggest this enthusiasm is on the wane.

The Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) found support for unification at rates over 70% in surveys conducted between 2003 and 2018. 

By contrast, the 2021 KGSS survey found only 57.3% in support, and other public opinion research has concluded that support decreased by approximately 15% from 2007 to 2017.

There are many potential reasons for both the general support for and growing caution about unification