Ninety five of 100 North Koreans in China yearn for a unified Korea, and 97 believe it would have a positive influence on their lives, according to a survey.

The North Koreans surveyed said even though their leader Kim Jong-un may oppose reunification, it would be difficult for him to prevent it.

The Chosun Ilbo and Center for Cultural Unification Studies interviewed 100 North Koreans in China's Dandong and Yanji from January to May to get their view on reunification between two Koreas.

The 100 who agreed to be interviewed are in China legally with permission from their country's regime. Four came to China in 2012, 53 in 2013 and 43 in 2014.

Because they left fairly recently, they were able to provide valuable information about the current situation in the North and people’s attitudes there.