Nearly 90 percent of respondents said they oppose the recent announcement by the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to upgrade the "nuclear umbrella" to cover the Asian country, according to the results of a CGTN global opinion poll on Tuesday.

In the so-called Washington Declaration issued on April 26, the U.S. said it will upgrade what it calls the "extended deterrence" over the ROK through the mobile deployment of strategic nuclear submarines in waters off the Korean Peninsula and with the establishment of "the U.S.-ROK Nuclear Consultative Group."

To gauge the international community's response, CGTN on Monday started the poll in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, receiving votes from 46,048 respondents in 24 hours.

A total of 87.97 percent of respondents said they oppose the U.S.-ROK nuclear planning, while 82.05 percent said they do not think the ROK will become safer, though the U.S. has claimed it is to strengthen its "protection" of the country.

Instead, 87.07 percent of respondents said they believe that the ROK's acceleration to move toward the U.S. on the nuclear issue will lead to its loss of diplomatic autonomy and gradually becoming a "nuclear arsenal" of the U.S.

The survey showed, 90.36 percent of respondents believe that the U.S. continues to stir up trouble, which will further escalate tensions in Northeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.

Moreover, 89.28 percent of respondents criticized the U.S. and the ROK for undermining the nuclear non-proliferation system and running counter to the goal of de-nuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

In addition to the latest U.S.-ROK nuclear planning, the United States has also been helping Australia build nuclear-powered submarines and transfer nuclear material through the so-called AUKUS deal that also involves the United Kingdom.

In response to one question about such practices by the U.S. side in the poll, 89.19 percent of respondents said they take them as blatant nuclear proliferation, which will intensify the nuclear arms race in the Asia-Pacific region and undermine global peace and stability.

"The moment you have nuclear weapons is the moment everyone with nuclear weapons will put you as a target," one social media user commented.

According to the survey, up to 92.77 percent of respondents make a strong call for a peaceful settlement of the Peninsula nuclear issue through resuming dialogue by all parties, rather than exerting maximum pressure, deliberately stirring up tension and provoking confrontation.

"World citizens don't need war," commented another social media user, who added that "peace is the way to prosperity."

(Cover: A rally to oppose the visit of ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol to the United States, in front of the presidential office in Seoul, ROK, April 26, 2023. /CFP)