8 of 10 adults, 6 of 10 university students willing to fight in event of war: survey. June. 24, 2016 07:20. by 정성택기자 neone@donga.com. Six out of 10 South Korean university students and teenagers were willing to fight against North Korean invasion if Pyongyang starts a full-blown war, a survey showed Thursday. Eight of 10 adults said they were willing to fight in the war.

According to the Ministry of Public Safety and Security on Thursday, a survey of 1,000 university students and juveniles and another 1,000 men and women at age 19 or older across the country found that 63.2 percent of university students and 56.9 percent of juveniles were willing to fight in the war. Among adults, 83.7 percent expressed their willingness to do so.

Such high willingness to fight is attributable to North Korea’s incessant provocations that many South Koreans view as a real threat. In the latest survey, 81.7 percent of the adults, 86.3 percent of the university students, and 85.7 percent of the juveniles said North Korea’s military buildup was “threatening.” At the time of the inter-Korean military tensions escalating to a tough-and-go situation in August last year following the North’s landmine provocation, 98 South Korean servicemen volunteered to postpone their discharges from the mandatory military service. Following the North’s fourth nuclear test in January this year, some 500 troops voluntarily delayed their discharges.

The survey also found that South Koreans of all ages staying overseas showed a low level of willingness to fight for their country in the event of a war. Among them, 40.9 percent of adults, 19.9 percent of university students, and 16.8 percent of juveniles said they would join the war from abroad. Asked about the priority between the country and individuals or their families in a war situation, 49.1 percent of the adults said the priority should go to their country, while 27.5 percent of university students and 35.6 percent of the juveniles cited the state as top priority.