About 60% of young people say unification with N.Korea unnecessary

Seoul, April 23 About 60 per cent of South Koreans in their 20s and 30s said unification with North Korea is not necessary, a survey showed on Sunday, amid a prolonged impasse in inter-Korean relations and denuclearization talks.

The survey, commissioned by a civic media group called Barun Media Citizen Action, found that 61 per cent of people in their 20s and 30s say Korean reunification is "not absolutely necessary", reports Yonhap News Agency.

In comparison, 24 per cent of them say unification with North Korea is "absolutely necessary".

North Korea has ramped up tensions by carrying out a flurry of weapons tests, including a recent launch of what it claimed to be a solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile.

According to the survey of 1,001 people, 91 per cent of them have unfavourable views of China and 88 per cent have unfavourable views of North Korea.

In contrast, 67 per cent have favourable views of the US and 63 per cent have favoUrable views of Japan.

The poll, conducted by pollster KOPRA from April 13-18, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.