The Korean Embassy in Belgium and the European Union (EU) on Dec. 8 organized the final briefing session for a survey on mutual perceptions of people in Korea and the EU at Vrije University Brussels in the Belgian capital. From left are Han Jeong-hun, a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies of Seoul National University; Korean Ambassador to Belgium and the EU Yoon Soon-gu; Gunnar Wiegand, managing director for Asia and the Pacific of the European External Action Service; and Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Korea Foundation and Vrije University Brussels' Korea chair. (Yonhap News) 

By Yun Dahee

Over half of European Union (EU) nationals think positively of Korea, according to a survey. 

Korean media including Yonhap News on Dec. 8 said this was announced at the final briefing session organized by the Korean Embassy in Belgium and the EU for a survey on mutual perceptions of people in Korea and the EU at Vrije University Brussels in the Belgian capital. 

The reports said 55.3% of EU citizens who responded gave a positive assessment of Korea. The proportions of those expressing interest in Korea age 24 and younger (50.4%) and those ages 25-29 (53.7%) were relatively high, with 26.8% saying they had a negative view and 18% responding "Don't know."
 

Han Jeong-hun, a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies of Seoul National University who led the study, said the two demographic types expressed interest in Korea "perhaps because of the recent exposure of EU youth to Korean culture."

The survey also found that 69.4% of Koreans had a positive image of the EU, with 15.3% having the opposite stance and 15.4% answering "Don't know." 

To mark the 60th anniversary of ties between Korea and the EU next year, this survey was jointly conducted in October by the global survey and research company Statista and Hankook Research for about two weeks. The study targeted 6,000 people -- 1,000 each in Belgium, France, Germany and Italy and 2,000 in Korea.

Han and Korean Ambassador to Belgium and the EU Yoon Soon-gu attended the session along with Gunnar Wiegand, managing director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service, and faculty and students from the Brussels university.