A survey showed that eight out of ten global citizens view South Korea in a positive light. 

The Korean Culture and Information Service under the Culture Ministry on Tuesday unveiled the results of the 2019 national image survey in which 76-point-seven percent of foreigners positively assessed Korea's image overall.

This is higher than the 64-point-eight percent of South Koreans who gave the same response, however, this number is up by ten percentage points from the previous year. 

As for the reasons contributing to a positive national image, 38 percent of respondents cited Korean pop culture such as K-pop, cinema and literature, followed by the country's economic standing, cultural heritage and Korean products and brands.

Regarding areas that can be improved, 34 percent said a peaceful resolution to inter-Korean issues was the top priority. 

In Japan, a negative view of South Korea increased to 53 percent last year. 

The online questionnaire was conducted last summer on eight-thousand people in 16 countries including South Korea.