American Support for the U.S.-ROK Alliance: Steady As She Goes
Analysis of 2012 Chicago Council Survey on American Public Opinion and U.S. Foreign Policy
By Scott Snyder
Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and
Director, Program on U.S.-Korea Policy
Council on Foreign Relations
The 2012 Chicago Council Survey provides an opportunity to understand the American public’s views on America’s role in the world as well as American responses both to developments in the U.S.-South Korea relationship and to South Korean efforts to enhance its own standing in the international community. The survey results provide a snapshot of the state of the relationship. When paired with data from previous years regarding Korea-related issues, the survey also provides a measure of the direction and value that Americans place on the relationship with South Korea as American recognition of the importance of Asia to U.S. interests grows.
This essay is based on a series of survey questions on Korea that is part of a larger Chicago Council Survey on American public opinion and U.S. foreign policy. The essay is the author’s own interpretation of the Council’s survey results.