S. Koreans see N.K. rocket launch as bargaining tool: poll

SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- More than half of all South Koreans believe that a recent rocket launch by North Korea was aimed at increasing Pyongyang's leverage in negotiations with the international community, a poll showed Monday.

They also want the government to deal with the situation through international
cooperation, the poll conducted just ahead of the launch said.
North Korea claimed it successfully sent a communications satellite into orbit
after firing off a three-stage rocket Sunday morning, denounced by South Korea
and its allies as a violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution. South Korea
and the U.S. said hours later that the rocket launch was a failure.
In a security awareness survey of 1,000 people aged 19 and over, 55.4 percent
viewed the launch as intended by North Korea to boost its negotiation power
community, while 19.4 percent said it was aimed at strengthening internal unity.
Another 16.6 percent viewed it as North Korea's missile development.
The poll was conducted Friday to Saturday by Research & Research on behalf of the
Ministry of Public Administration and Safety.
Asked how Seoul should respond, 51.8 percent called for the government to
address the issue through international cooperation, while 33.6 percent suggested
direct inter-Korean talks.
Of the surveyed, 60 percent said South Korea should cooperate with the United
States for its national security, followed by North Korea (15.7 percent) and
China (10.4 percent).
North Korea was the most threatening country to South Korea, according to 49.9
percent of the respondents, while 17.5 percent named Japan and 15.5 percent named
China.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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