A recent survey has found that seven out of ten South Koreans believe that North Korea must apologize for the sinking of the “Cheonan” naval vessel and its artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island. North Korea has been accused of firing a torpedo that sank the Cheonan warship last March.

Among the respondents, close to 70-percent said that they were against resuming food aid to North Korea if the North does not give an apology for the two provocations.

In addition, more than 60-percent said that the North Korean nuclear issue must be the top priority for inter-Korean matters.

On the necessity of unification, more than 70-percent said they were eager for it, with 39-percent citing the fact that South and North Koreans are the same people making up one population. Twenty-six percent of the respondents noted another reason for unification was to relieve security concerns.

About the need to generate finances to fund the unification, 73-percent said they agree to the need. As to the method, almost more than half said they preferred the establishment of a fund. Less than ten percent said that taxation is a method.

The survey was commissioned by the Defense Ministry and conducted by a public research firm on one-thousand male and female adults in South Korea.