Polls & Research
Archive Search
Americans Reject War with North Korea
- Many adults in the United States believe the recent crisis over North Korea's nuclear program should be resolved diplomatically, according to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News. 70 per cent of respondents think the U.S. should pressure countries like China and South Korea to cut off financial aid to North Korea.
In addition, 16 per cent of respondents believe nothing should be done for the time being because North Korea is not an immediate threat, and only five per cent would consent to military action to try to destroy North Korea's nuclear facilities.
Kim Jong-il has been the de-facto leader of North Korea since the death of his father, Kim Il Song, in 1994. North Korea was branded as part of an "axis of evil" by United States president George W. Bush in January 2002. In February 2005, the government of North Korea admitted publicly for the first time that it possesses nuclear weapons.
In July, North Korea launched seven missiles—including the Taepodong-2—which landed in the Sea of Japan close to Russian coastal areas. On Oct. 9, the country announced it had successfully carried out a test detonation of a nuclear weapon.
On Oct. 14, the United Nations (UN) Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1718, which demands that North Korea "not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile" and bans the supply, sale or transfer of military goods and luxury items to the North Korean government.
U.S. state secretary Condoleezza Rice called the resolution "a remarkable unity of purpose and unity of message to North Korea."
Polling Data
The North Korean government announced that it carried out a nuclear test over the weekend. Which one of the following do you think the United States should do?
Pressure countries like China and South | 70% |
Do nothing for the time being because | 16% |
Take military action to try to destroy | 5% |
Other | 6% |
Don't know | 3% |
Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 American likely voters, conducted on Oct. 10 to Oct. 11, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
