Background: According to the Diabetes Fact Sheet published by the Korean Diabetes Association, as of 2020, one in six adults (16.7%) over the age of 30 were diagnosed with diabetes. In this rapidly increasing prevalence of diabetes in Korea, the severity of diabetes to raise awareness of the importance of awareness, early detection, and active management. A public diabetes awareness survey was conducted in 2022 and 2023, and the survey contents by year were compared and presented. Methods: This survey was a structured online questionnaire conducted in October 2023, targeting a total of 1,000 adult men and women aged 20 or older nationwide through population proportional allocation according to age, sex, and residential area. Results: The survey results indicated that 91.4% of respondents perceive diabetes as a serious disease, and 68.3% of those without a diabetes diagnosis have expressed concerns about diabetes or hyperglycemia. However, awareness of ‘prediabetes’ and ‘glycated hemoglobin’ was only 61.3% and 38.1%, respectively. On the other hand, only one-third of the respondents reported maintaining an appropriate weight and waist circumference, eating regular meals, and engaging in regular exercise. While awareness and perceived necessity of insulin injections were high, the willingness to undergo injection therapy was only about 50%, indicating a need to provide information on the benefits of insulin therapy and its positive impact on quality of life. Conclusion Therefore, raising awareness about the severity of diabetes, along with education and intervention, is necessary to facilitate early detection and proactive management of diabetes.