SEOUL—A public opinion poll released on October 3, 2025, indicates that a vast majority of South Koreans—eight out of ten—consider the US demand for a $350 billion upfront investment in the ongoing South Korea-US tariff negotiations to be unfair.
The survey, conducted by Realmeter at the request of Energy Economic Newspaper on October 1-2, sampled 1,008 eligible voters aged 18 and over nationwide. The results showed that 80.1% of respondents answered that the US demand for a prepayment of investment funds was "unjust." This included 61.4% who said it was "very unjust" and 18.7% who said it was "generally unjust." In contrast, only 12.4% considered the demand "acceptable."
Strong National Unity on 'Unjust' Demand
Realmeter analyzed the strong public reaction, stating that the high rate of "unjust" opinions—reaching 80%—is likely a result of the demand being perceived as a "coercive threat," especially in light of the recent detention incidents involving South Korean nationals in the US. This suggests a very powerful national consciousness toward protecting national interests.
The opinion that the demand is "unjust" exceeded 70% in all regions. Notably, the traditionally conservative Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) region at 84.0% and the traditionally liberal Gwangju-Jeonnam-Jeonbuk (Honam) region at 84.8% showed a rare unanimity of opinion across the historically divided regions. By age, the "unjust" response was above 60% in all demographics, peaking at 88.5% among those in their 50s.
Government's Stance to Continue Negotiation is Supported
Despite the clear public rejection of the US demand, the current government's policy of maintaining a refusal to accept the request while continuing dialogue and negotiation was rated as "appropriate" by 61.9% of respondents, compared to 30.5% who found it "inappropriate."
Regarding the preferred government strategy for the tariff talks, the most favored approach was a 'Conditional Negotiation' (33.7%), which involves upholding principles while making partial concessions to boost negotiating power. A 'Hardline Stance' (24.6%) of firmly rejecting the US demand was the second choice, followed by an 'International Cooperation Strategy' (19.7%). Only a small minority, 16.2%, supported a 'Pragmatic First Strategy' of agreeing to the demand and incurring some loss for the sake of the South Korea-US alliance.
The US demand for a $350 billion upfront payment has been a sticking point, with South Korean officials expressing serious concerns that such a massive cash outlay could pose a significant foreign exchange risk and potentially trigger a financial crisis, as the amount represents a substantial portion of the nation's foreign reserves.
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