Eight out of ten global citizens were found to hold a positive view of South Korea.

According to a 2021 national image survey released by the culture ministry's Korean Culture and Information Service on Monday, 80-point-five percent of foreigners have a positive image of South Korea, up two-point-four percentage points from the previous year.

In seven countries including Vietnam, Turkey, the Philippines and Thailand, more than nine out of ten people had a positive view of Korea.

In Japan, positive responses jumped by more than seven percentage points to 35 percent, overtaking negative views, which hit 26-point-six percent, for the first time since the poll began to be taken in 2018.

Reasons behind the positive image included contemporary culture such as K-pop and films at 23 percent, as well as products and brands, economic standing, cultural heritage and national character. 

Compared to the 2020 survey, the latest poll found social systems and sports also contributed to sentiment. The online poll was conducted in September on over 12-thousand people aged 16 and older in 24 countries.