A third of young South Koreans are negative on possible unification with North Korea, a poll showed Tuesday.

The survey of 814 adults and 105 security and foreign affairs experts released by Hyundai Research Institute found that 31.6 percent of the respondents in their 20s said they don't need unification with North Korea.

It also showed that 22.6 percent of the respondents in their 30s said they are not in favor of unification.

Still, it showed that 78 percent of the 814 ordinary adults and 98.1 percent of the security experts that they shared the need to unify with North Korea.

The survey results underscore that the desire for unification is weak among young South Koreans.

It also showed that 12.1 percent of ordinary people said they are willing to pay between 110,000 won (US$100) and 500,000 won per year as costs of unification, compared with 2.6 percent in 2011.

South Korea said unification would provide the Korean people with a springboard to prosperity by marrying South Korea's capital and technology with North Korea's rich natural resources.

Meanwhile, North Korea has long suspected that Seoul could be plotting to absorb Pyongyang.

The two Koreas still technically remain in a state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

Hyundai Research Institute said it questioned the people across the country between Oct. 23 and Nov. 4. A margin of error was not immediately available. (Yonhap News)