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Following a boom in exports of Korean culture across Asia, a recent study has found that Chinese people view Koreans in a more positive light than they do the United States, Japan and Taiwan.
Prof. Lee Joon-ung of the Department of Communication at Seoul National University published the findings of a survey Friday at an academic seminar sponsored by the university¡¯s Institute of Korean Studies.
A survey of 800 Beijing citizens conducted on May 2004, suggests Koreans are held to be kinder than the people of other nations included in the survey. The Chinese awarded Korea the most points in this category at 62, followed by Taiwan with 59, the U.S. with 57 and Japan with 50.
Japan was the most competitive and menacing state from the Chinese perspective with 53 points, and the U.S. came next with 50 points. Taiwan trailed at 48 but was still seen as more threatening than Korea with 45.
In terms of affluence and education, Koreans and Taiwanese scored 65 points. They were outranked, however, by Americans (75) and the Japanese (68).
America also topped the list in terms of its people's general competency. Koreans and Japanese placed second with 66 apiece and the Taiwanese came last with 63.
Overall, Korea ranked as the most favorably-perceived state by the Chinese in the poll. They awarded the country 60 points, one above America and two above Taiwan. Japan lagged with 51 points.
¡°There is a correlation between age and a favorable perception of Korea. The younger and higher educated a Chinese is, the more he experiences Korean pop culture, such as dramas and movies. The more often a Chinese experiences the Korean pop culture, the more likely he views Korea as affluent and Koreans as capable and benign,¡± Lee said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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