In a survey of more than 1,000 South Korean adults conducted from March to April this year and released on Monday by the Washington-based think tank, 55 percent expressed an unfavorable view of the U.S., up 16 percentage points from a year earlier. This marked the first time the figure had exceeded 50 percent since the Pew Research Center began conducting its survey on perceptions of the U.S. more than two decades ago.
It also surpassed the previous high of 50 percent recorded in 2003, when anti-U.S. protests intensified following the deaths of two South Korean middle school girls who were struck by a U.S. military vehicle.
The proportion of South Koreans with a favorable view of the U.S. fell to 45 percent.
Researchers attributed the strained sentiment largely to dissatisfaction with U.S. President Donald Trump's America-first policies, particularly his tariff pressure on U.S. allies including South Korea.
Some 85 percent of respondents said they disapproved of Trump's tariff policies including 63 percent who said they strongly disapproved.
Most South Koreans also had a negative view of Trump's handling of the prolonged conflict in the Middle East, with 73 percent disapproving. His recent decision to scale back Washington's joint military exercise with South Korea, citing Seoul's refusal to support the U.S. in its conflict with Iran, has further raised concerns about the bilateral alliance.
Trust in the U.S. as a reliable partner also declined sharply, with some 57 percent of South Korean respondents saying they trusted the U.S., down from 83 percent in 2022.
Only 21 percent said they believed the U.S. takes other countries' interests into account when making foreign policy decisions. The proportion of South Koreans who believed the U.S. contributes to global peace and stability also fell to 47 percent from 74 percent a year earlier.
Despite the decline in sentiment, support for the bilateral alliance remained strong, with some 84 percent of South Koreans still seeing the U.S. as their country's most important ally.
The latest findings suggest that growing discontent over Trump's unilateral policies has not turned into broader opposition to the alliance itself, as South Koreans continue to see the U.S. as a crucial security partner while North Korea's security threat remains a major concern.
AJP Takeaways
• Fifty-five percent of South Korean adults viewed the U.S. unfavorably in the Pew Research Center survey released Aug. 24, 2026, up 16 percentage points from a year earlier and the highest level recorded in the survey.
• Eighty-five percent of South Korean respondents disapproved of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies, while 73 percent disapproved of his handling of the prolonged conflict in the Middle East.
• Despite declining views of the U.S., 84 percent of South Koreans still identified the United States as their country's most important ally, suggesting strong support for the South Korea-U.S. alliance remains intact.
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