Effects of Trade Relations on South Korean Views of China

Abstract

Trade between China and South Korea has increased since the early 1990s, with South Korea becoming more and more economically dependent on China. At the same time, many regard China as a security threat to South Korea. This study investigates whether South Koreans view China positively or as a future threat within the context of this relationship. This article applies the Stolper–Samuelson theorem to test the proposition that individual South Koreans who benefit from trade with China view China positively, while those who do not benefit view it negatively. Using ordered logit models to analyze two survey data sources—the 2006 Public Opinion Survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Asia Society, and East Asia Institute, and the 2010 Asian Barometer Survey—the study concludes that South Koreans with high incomes, who are likely to be beneficiaries, are more likely to view China positively than those with low incomes.