Analyses & Alternatives (분석과 대안)

Korea Consensus Institute(KCI) (사단법인 코리아컨센서스연구원)
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A Study on Cohort Effects of Unification Consciousness of South Korean

통일의식에 대한 코호트 효과 분석에 관한 연구

  • Dongsun Kang (Office of Employment Policy Evaluation, Korea Employment Information Service) ;
  • Kyoungbong Woo (Department of International Trade, Korea National Open University)
  • 강동선 (한국고용정보원, 일자리사업평가팀) ;
  • 우경봉 (한국방송통신대학교, 무역학과)
  • Received : 2024.05.21
  • Accepted : 2024.06.12
  • Published : 2024.06.30
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Abstract

The recent trend of declining consciousness regarding the necessity of unification among South Korean citizens is evident. Does a cohort effect exist in this downward trend in the perception of the necessity of unification? The purpose of this study is to analyze whether birth cohorts statistically significantly influence the consciousness of the necessity of unification. To this end, the hierarchical age-period-cohort (HAPC) model was employed as the analytical model, and data from the Unification Consciousness Survey conducted by Seoul National University's Institute for Peace and Unification Studies from 2007 to 2021 was used. The analysis results showed evidence that the progress of economic inequality at the birth cohort level affected the decline in the perception of the necessity of unification. The 1980s birth cohort, which faced socioeconomic difficulties during their social advancement due to income and wealth polarization, is observed to have a distinctly negative perception of unification requiring massive financial resources, compared to the 1960s and 1970s birth cohorts.

최근 한국 국민의 통일필요 의식의 하락 추세는 선명하다. 통일필요 의식 하락 추세에 있어 출생 코호트 효과는 존재하는가? 본 연구의 목적은 통일필요 의식에 있어 출생 코호트가 통계적으로 유의미한 영향을 미치는지 분석하는 것이다. 이를 위해 분석모형으로 위계적 연령-기간-코호트(HAPC) 모형을 채용하였으며 2007~2021년 기간 서울대학교 통일평화연구원의 통일의식조사 데이터를 사용하였다. 분석 결과, 출생 코호트 수준에서 경제불평등의 진행이 통일 필요성 인식 하락에 영향을 미쳤다는 증거가 관찰되었다. 소득과 자산의 양극화 진행으로 인해 사회 진출 과정에서 사회경제적 어려움을 겪은 1980년대 출생 코호트는 막대한 재원이 투입되는 남북통일에 대해, 1960년대와 1970년대 출생 코호트와 비교해 선명하게 부정적인 인식을 가지는 것으로 판단된다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by Korea National Open University Research Fund.

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