Nearly eight out of 10 South Koreans believe social media leads to more political division, with nearly as many people saying social media makes it easier for people to manipulate others, a survey showed.

However, more than 60 percent of those surveyed said social media is still a good thing for the country’s democracy, according to the survey conducted by Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington.

In South Korea, 77 percent of those surveyed said social media leads to more political division, the third highest after the US and the Netherlands, with 79 percent and 78 percent, respectively.

The annual survey was conducted from Feb. 14 to June 3 in 19 countries, including Britain, Germany, Japan and France, involving a total of 20,944 people aged 18 years or older. (Yonhap)