Newsletter

Yang Kee-ho, Professor of Japanese Studies at Sungkonghoe University

Q1. With the launch of the Biden administration, changes in international relations are expected around the Korean peninsula. Is there any remarkable movement regarding the Korea-Japan relationship?

A1. The Biden government is looking forward to improving the relationship between Korea and Japan, emphasizing the restoration of the alliance and security and cooperation between Korea, the United States and Japan. Korea-U.S.-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting will be held next month, and it is meaningful that the dialogue between the three countries is resumed. Under these circumstances, Korea and Japan are in various contacts. Japan is the most important country for us, and partnership between Korea and Japan is precious for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia.

As policy toward North Korea and history issues are getting worse, there are many people point out that 'Korea-Japan relations are in the greatest crisis', 'politics, economy and security are in a complex fracture'. As China's attitude changed and the flow of the post-Cold War overlapped, it became difficult to share strategic interests between the two countries. In addition, the confrontation and conflict between the two countries appeared in a clear form in the Korean Supreme Court's ruling on compensation for victims of forced labor or the Korean court's ruling on the sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army. The Korean government is approaching with sincerity and sincerity to find a solution together. However, Japan has accumulated obstacles, making negotiations stagnant and difficult to prepare exits.

Since the launch of the Suga regime last October, the Korean government has expressed its firm commitment to improving relations between Korea and Japan. Our proposal is not fully supported or understood in Japanese society. However, in this situation, Japan says it will throw contaminated water into the sea at the nuclear power plant. They will do this, which will make it harder to improve relations between the two countries. In addition, the equality of the Korean and Japanese national power, the discrepancy of strategic profit sharing, and the clash of historical memories are becoming common trends. There are many negative factors, obstacles, and sudden variables, so it is difficult to expect positive results at this stage. In the future, we need to persuade the United States and Japan based on the sincerity of improving Korea-Japan relations.

Q2. Ramseyer's paper has raised concerns about the spread of Negationism related to sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army. What is the background of the emergence and change of a new situation called 'internationalization of historical issues'?

A2. What is underpinned by the background is the persistent publicity of the Japanese government and the Japanese far right. They have taken the United States as a battlefield and have begun to expand their full-scale power to overturn the history of sexual slave victims. This time, they put up a representative called Ramseyer to issue 'sexual slave victims'. The Kono Statement in 1993 acknowledged the 'engagement of the Japanese army' about 'sexual slavery victims'. Ramseyer argues, however, that 'the comfort station was set up by a private contractor' and that teenage girls had signed a 'contract by free will' at the time of the war, it was a 'rational choice'. This is a common sense that can not be understood. In addition, the United Nations' Kumaraswami Report(1996) and the Gay McDougal Report(1998) defined the teenage girls as 'sexual slavery' and made it clear that the Japanese government should apologize and compensate. It is not only a distortion of the facts, but it also overturns the official position of the existing Japanese government. And it's a twist on the contents of the official UN report.

Fortunately, more than 1,000 world-renowned scholars have sent a protest letter to Ramseyer and signed off against his paper. American politicians, academic experts, and college students have strongly condemned and protested his distortions of history. In that sense, I think autopurification is underway around the world. But what is very regrettable is that Revisionists make a false attempt to distort history. They are trying to scratch not only the achievements of many researchers and intellectuals, but also the history of 30 years since Kim Hak-soon confessed the damage that she suffered as a 'sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army' on August 14, 1991. Fortunately, I think that civic groups around the world are playing a proper and excellent role. You can see from the events related to The Statue of Peace in Berlin, Germany.

Q3. Historical negationism is spreading in the international community. Shouldn't we be setting the direction of response?

A3. As we can see from the recent reports of KBS, the Historical negationism is gradually deteriorating. In particular, some Japanese professors have denied the official data of their country, which has acknowledged the forced mobilization of the 'comfort women', by erasing and denying history. This phenomenon indicates that the Japanese right wing tends to distort history beyond the confrontation between history and memory of both countries. For example, they spread the distorted fact that the sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army had spontaneity or colonial rule helped Joseon. And some media abuse conservative forces to spread this to conflicts and confrontations between the two countries. It's spreading the wrong facts to recognize the difference in historical perception as a deterioration in relations between the two countries.

The contents described in Japanese history textbooks have become even worse. The books used in Japanese public education have few describes about the fact that the Japanese military forced 'comfort women', or forced Koreans to work. We should not neglect these situations. Then, whenever the historical issue arises, Japanese transfer responsibility by saying that Koreans have done wrong. If we don't make a clear statement, the misunderstandings and conflicts between the two countries will deepen as time goes by. To promote social dialogue in order to achieve a same level in which the domain of justice and the domain of victim are fully respected in historical issues, and to jointly discuss and gather opinions to form a consensus and receive the attention and support of the people of both countries. If we do not go through this constant purification process, we will not be able to avoid the conflict between Korea and Japan for the time being. This is because it is the specificity of the relationship between Korea and Japan. In the future, we must invest in accumulating data on history and territory and identifying facts. And we're going to have to focus on new media platforms like online publishing and YouTube.

Q4. There is something we can know from the results of Japan's approval of history textbooks. It is the historical awareness of Japanese society and right wing. How do we approach this problem?

A4. Since the 2000s, Japan does not regard history or territorial issues as a matter of Korea and Japan. They have a general view of Japan-Russia, Japan-China and so on. If we think about the situation in Japan, this issue will have to be prolonged. First of all, I am most worried that the number of textbooks accurately described on the 'comfort women' issue is decreasing and the contents are poor. In addition, Japan claims Dokdo as its territory and distorts the fact that Korea occupies illegally. Then, future generations of Japan will recognize Korea as an illegal country. Basically, the principle of education should be set in a way that enhances mutual understanding and favor among neighboring countries. However, it is very worrying that Japan's distorted history education may lead to a prejudice that “Korea is a country that teaches wrong history”, “Korea is a country that makes wrong claims about territory”.

I think it is inappropriate to compromise the history and territorial issues easily, or to promote passively. In the future, we need to continue to study these issues and make sure that our position on them is informed to Japan steadily. And we must strive to make it acceptable and shared by the international community. I think that we should continue to promote various facts so that the right history can be described in history textbooks of the US or Europe.

Q5. We expect a new Korea-Japan relationship ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. However, if the Liberal Democratic Party wins the Japanese general election this fall and their dominance continues and the Suga regime is maintained, it will be difficult to improve relations between the two countries. Please look forward to the changes in relations between Korea and Japan.

A5. The Korean government and the National Assembly are expecting improvement of Korea-Japan relations through the Tokyo Olympics. We want the Korea-China-Japan summit to be held on schedule. The Tokyo Olympics and the Japanese general election can be a good opportunity to improve Korea-Japan relations. However, it is also true that there are negative factors that will affect the relationship between the two countries, such as the order to sell the compensation for forced labor, the ruling on compensation for comfort women, and the release of water contaminated with radioactive materials at Fukushima nuclear plant.

But the historical facts must continue to be revealed. Trying to solve the issue of sexual violence in wartime from a universal human rights perspective, discussing the victim-centered approach in the domain of justice, the principle that 'personal rights are not undermined by agreement between countries' has been recognized and confirmed in international organizations and international courts. That part should never be compromised. However, it is quite unfortunate that the feelings of the people of both countries deteriorate as the historical issues expand to politics, economy and security. Now, the two countries should make efforts to demonstrate political leadership to resolve historical issues based on close communication between diplomatic authorities. The wisdom and determination of politicians is important. Japan should answer sincerely and faithfully about the authenticity of the relationship improvement that Korea has shown.

Q6. Conflicts between Korea and Japan continue due to differences in perceptions of past history. I would appreciate it if you could tell us what role NAHF should play at this time. And since you are an expert on Korea-Japan relations, please tell us a good word to future generations.

A6. NAHF must seek historical truths, but revive the purpose of its establishment 'Northeast Asia of Reconciliation and Cooperation'. It would be good to add academic efforts and achievements to explore modern and contemporary history materials, and to the passion to make it a global public good. History distortions in China and Japan are getting worse. In response to this, it is important to thoroughly promote the position of the Korean government in the public diplomacy and actively accumulate related capabilities.

In the future, we should provide an environment in which future generations can be interested in relations with Japan. There are many conflicts and disputes, but Japan is still the closest neighbor to us. If you think about it, there are a few countries that can form mutual consensus like Korea and Japan. We have to get out of misunderstandings and prejudices and look at the other country as it is and understand each other. The two countries are advanced Asian countries that share market economy and liberal democracy, and are the best countries expected by Asians. If Korea and Japan build a global cooperative model in mutually beneficial relations, there are too many parts that can contribute to stability and peace in the region. I hope that the two countries will be able to find reconciliation and cooperation based on historical facts so that they can become the model of Northeast Asia in the future. In the era of future generations, I hope that reconciliation and cooperation will be overflowing rather than conflict and confrontation.