The ratio of advocates of unification was higher among men, middle school students and urban dwellers, it noted.

Moreover, students who consider themselves more well-off and interested in politics expressed a more positive viewpoint on unification.

Slightly over half of the respondents, 50.4 percent, said unification, if realized, would be a good thing, while 17.9 percent said unification doesn’t matter to them. About 12 percent said they like the current situation.

Asked to pick reasons for unification, 43.6 percent cited elimination of war risk, followed by strengthening of national competitiveness (21.9 percent), restoration of national homogeneity (18 percent) and healing of the pain of separated families (12.9 percent), the poll found.

Compared with the 2008 survey, the portion of those who cite the elimination of war risk increased 23.9 percentage points and those who cite strengthening of national competitiveness dropped 9.6 points.

The young students' increased awareness of war risk was also reflected in their answers on the image of North Korea.

About 36 percent said the first thing that is associated with North Korea is nuclear weapons, with 22.1 percent citing dictatorship. Ranked between third and fifth were the same ethnic group (17 percent), socialist country (11.8 percent) and extreme food shortage (9.6 percent), the survey said.

About 80 percent said they were interested in a school field trip to the North and sightseeing there. (Yonhap)