South Korean National Pride: Determinants, Changes, and Suggestions

This study looks at how proud South Koreans are of their nation’s achievements, how strongly South Koreans feel their country is superior to other countries, what factors are important to explain differences in national pride, and how important perceptions on social trust and current political and economic situations are in determining Koreans’ level of national pride. The data for this study comes from the Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) of 2003. Age, education, family income, and evaluations of social trust and current political and economic situations are examined as major determinants of national pride. The study finds that South Koreans exhibit greater national pride in their achievement in sports, history, and science and technology than in politics and social welfare systems. Moreover, South Koreans who are younger, better educated, or have higher family income tend to be less proud of their country and are less likely to have strong sentiments of national superiority or allegiance to the nation.