Almost 80 percent of South Koreans now trust Kim Jong Un

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 2 May 2018

Last week's meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has had a radical effect on the people of South Korea, Bloomberg reports. Just over a month ago, Gallup found that just 10 percent of South Koreans approved of Kim, but in a new poll by the Korea Research Center released Tuesday, 78 percent of respondents said they trusted the controversial ruler.

Moon is enthusiastically liked in South Korea, where he has an 86 percent approval rating. Respondents to the Korea Research Center poll found a number of moments in the summit between the leaders impressive, including the pledge to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. Thirty percent of respondents said Moon's decision to cross the border was the most impressive part. Nearly 90 percent of South Koreans said the summit was a productive step forward.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.