Editor's Note

The East Asia Institute (EAI), in collaboration with Japan’s Asia-Pacific Initiative (API) and the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), conducted the 1st Korea-Japan-U.S. Joint Public Opinion Survey and the 12th Korea-Japan Joint Public Opinion Survey. The results of this survey are presented in visual format in this “EAI Public Opinion Briefing.”

The survey findings reveal a decline in the South Korean public’s trust toward the United States, a trend that appears to be linked to backlash against the Trump administration’s trade and security policies. At the same time, results from all three countries revealed a strong threat perception of China coupled with support for security policies aimed at countering China. Taken together, the results suggest that, in South Korea, this may be closely linked to increased support for trilateral military cooperation and the strategic pursuit of a future-oriented Korea-Japan relation.