Gallup Korea announced its special survey results on “The 40 things Koreans like best” in celebration of its 30th anniversary on Wednesday.

About the president that Korean people like the most among former and present presidents, 47.9 percent of the respondents named late President Park Chung-hee. Park led in all age brackets except the teens. Former President Kim Dae-jung and President Roh Moo-hyun followed in second and third place, receiving 14.3 percent and 6.7 percent respectively.

From left: President Park Chung-hee, Uri Party leader Chung Dong-yong and Park Geun-hye

About the politician Koreans favor the most, GNP head Park Geun-hye and former Uri Party head Chung Dong-young led, receiving 6.6 and 6.5 percent respectively. President Roh Moo-hyun, former GNP chairman Lee Hoi-chang and former President Kim Dae-jung followed while receiving 3.2, 2.6, and 2 percent each. However, as many as 57.7 percent of the respondents replied that they do not have a politician they favor.

Chairman of Samsung Group Lee Kun-hee and late chair of the Hyundai Group Chung Joo-young marked first and second place as the entrepreneurs Koreans like the most; each received 17.4 and 14.5 percent support. Lee Moon-yul, who received 6.6 percent support, ranked first place among novelists and Lee Mi-ja led singers by receiving 5.6 percent support. Na Hoon-a and the new generation singer Rain (“Be” in Korean) shared second place by both receiving 5.1 percent support. Among the actors, Ahn Sung-ki, Jang Dong-gun and Seul Kyung-gu led with 13.4, 7.4, and 3.8 percent of respondents naming them as their favorites.

The Korean food that the people liked the most was beanpaste pot stew, kimchi pot stew and kimchi, which received 22.7, 17.5, 16.2 percent support respectively. About their favorite fish, 27.1 percent of the respondents replied scombroid. 23.1 percent answered cutlass fish, and 15.8 percent picked yellow corvina. 65.7 percent replied that coffee is their favorite drink, and the preference for soju was much higher than that for beer -- 65.3 to 29.1 percent.

Koreans were found to favor mountain climbing, reading and listening to music as hobbies (9, 8.3 and 7.8 percent). Computer games that received the most replies from teens and those in their 20s, ranked fourth receiving 5.4 percent. 15.2 percent answered that they play soccer the most. There were various replies about the song they like to sing the most, but 1.8 percent picked “Meeting" (Mannam), sung by Roh Sa-yeon, ranked first place. 15.1 percent selected “Silmido” as the most impressive Korean movie and Taegukgi followed with 14.4 percent. Among foreign films, 6.7 percent chose “The Lord of the Rings” and 6.2 percent selected “Titanic.”

About the color of clothes, 23 percent favored black while 16 percent liked white. It turned out that unlike the by-name “Nation of white clothes,” Koreans do not favor white clothes that much. The job that Koreans favor the most was public employees and teachers -- 21.2 and 14.1 percent. About the country they like the most, 15.4 and 15.3 percent picked the United States and Australia. 11.3 percent picked Paris as the city they wish to visit the most, followed by Sydney at 10.5 percent.

The survey was conducted by an individual interview method from May 13 to 29 on 1,728 people over the age of 15. Respondents were able to freely select the things they favor the most, not choose from a given list. The maximum sample error was ±2.3 percent.

(Hong Young-lim, ylhong@chosun.com )