뉴스레터

The Difference between the Korean and Japanese Peoples in their Historical Perception

I once read about a conversation between the Korean government official and writer Shin Yu-han (申維翰) and the Japanese scholar Amenomori Hoshu (雨森芳洲) that had taken place in the 18th century during Shin's visit to Japan. In this conversation, Amenomori suggested that the Imjin War should be put behind them now that Japan had made a sincere (誠) apology for it, but Shin pointed out that Korea wouldn't accept it as an apology because Japan's behavior and apology were not based on respect (敬).

The political system, known as the "order of ye-ak (禮樂秩序)", was common to all the three Northeast Asian nations (Korea, China, and Japan). Ye, or courtesy (禮), establishes a political order with a network of roles related to social management. It is a sophisticated order of norm that man has created out of the order (道) of Mother Nature through reasoning. And the formalities (儀) symbolize this order made into visible forms.

Completing the formalities (儀) is important to the Japanese people because they equate it to doing things right. To the Korean people, on the other hand, the spirit of courtesy (禮) is more important than the formalities. The Korean people wouldn't accept courtesy unless it is out respect (敬) for the other. The Japanese people believe that they have done their best as long as they have completed the formalities, whereas the Korean people value the underlying nature more than the formalities. This fundamental difference in how they perceive things explains why Korea-Japan relations today are not working out well. The Korean and Japanese peoples are not on the same wavelength.

Let Us Look Back on Today from the Future

I have participated in the Sino-Korean Strategic Dialogue for the last ten years or so. It is a conference to discuss regional affairs including the North Korean nuclear issue, but has made frustratingly slow progress as the participants from both sides have simply repeated their same old arguments to each other. In the last year's conference, I made the following suggestions in the opening speech: "We don't discuss and deal with regional affairs with our Chinese counterparts without considering a future when the two Koreas will have been united. No one doubts anymore that if and when the two Koreas are united, it should be the South to take the lead. I suggest that our Chinese counterparts should do the same before dealing with the current regional affairs. In other words, give consideration to your country's relations with Korea unified at the initiative of the South. Also, how about considering beforehand that your country might adopt liberal democracy as a national policy by 2050? When dealing with today's issues, let's place ourselves at a time in the future and look back on them." The representatives of China appeared to agree. When placed in the perspective of tomorrow, conflicts today will look completely differently.

It's Possible to Create a Sense of Community in the Northeast Asian Region

Any community cannot maintain its order and system without the voluntary acceptance and support of its members. And they accept and support the system when they have a shared sense of community, i.e. a shared feeling that they belong to the same community. Such a sense of community was referred to as ak (樂) in the political order common to the three Northeast Asian countries. Like any other living thing, large or small, human beings are a mass of energy from the universe, and this common energy is kept in their souls. When the energy inherent to a person resonates with the energy of the universe, a man realizes that he is united with another human being. And this state of mind was referred to as ak (樂).

In this state, the 'enlightened' people would be bound by one shared feeling, creating a sense of community. Given support from this sense of community, the order of ye-ak (禮樂秩序) would be completed.

For a long time, the Korean, Chinese, and Japanese peoples have shared the common political philosophy, and lived in political systems based on the common order of ye-ak. Given the correct understanding of this history, the Korean, Chinese, and Japanese peoples would see themselves belonging to the 'same Northeast Asian community' as the others. However, if they distorted the history to their own advantage driven by the narrow-minded notion that they were superior to the others, the strife among them would only go from bad to worse.

If they opened their minds and tried to understand history from a long-term and broad perspective, they would be able to create 'a sense of community' that could be shared by all the people within the region. And if our future was put into perspective, it would be easy for all to see that Korea, China, and Japan are neighbors to help and live with.

Korea, China, and Japan: The Closest Neighbors

If there was any obstacle to cooperation and mutual understanding among Korea, China, and Japan, it would be exclusive nationalism promoted by the political leaders of those three nations. As a result of miseducation of history, all the three peoples have the notion that they are the chosen people, and tend to look down on the others.

No other peoples in the world share as many cultural similarities as the peoples of Korean, China, and Japan. The order of Mother Nature referred to as 'Heaven' has been the supreme standard of value judgment common to all the three peoples.

They have believed in the common religions, such as Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and shamanism. They are also in the same cultural sphere influenced by Chinese characters, and ethnically very similar to one another. And they share many cultural traditions as a result of constant cultural exchanges as neighbors. Perhaps there are few other peoples or nations that share so many things as these three. While these three peoples are supposed to be close to one another, their leaders have promoted exclusive nationalism for political reasons, creating conflicts among the nations and the peoples. If what politics has divided could be put back together by increasing exchanges between people, I think that it would be possible to revive a sense of community as the basis of forming a regional community. Getting history right should begin with reconfirming the cultural bond shared by the peoples of the three nations. In Europe, twenty-seven countries have created a regional community known as the European Union, setting up their life in broader areas of the region. Korea, China, and Japan have also discussed the possibility of creating the Northeast Asian community for a long time, but made little progress because of deep-seated conflicts among them. Creating the Northeast Asian community would not be feasible if initiated by the governments. But if desired and supported by the peoples of the three nations, it could become a reality.

If the peoples of the three nations had the common perception of history and were led to make necessary apologies to one another, I think that it would help them forgive one another and open their hearts as neighbors to live with. It is necessary to get the history right that has been deliberately distorted by the governments, so that the peoples of the three Northeast Asian nations could have the common perception of history. I think that promoting campaigns to get history right targeted primarily at the peoples of Korea, China, and Japan is desirable.

To Get History Right Is To Create a Bright Future

History is made of things of the past rearranged with the interests of the present. If the interests of the present changes, so does history. While historical facts remain unchanged, 'history' goes on evolving.

The Northeast Asian History Foundation is an organization that oversees projects that create peace and order in Northeast Asian by correcting the distorted history. It is also an organization that creates 'a history of the future' by making concerted efforts with the intellectuals of neighboring countries with a long-term and broad perspective.

While the NAHF is still young, its accomplishments made so far are great. In particular, the NAHF has made great contributions to leading the general public to fix their incorrect perception of history.

South Korean citizens have high expectations of what the NAHF does. I hope that those who are participating in the NAHF's activities will take pride in that they are at the forefront of creating peace and order in Northeast Asia. History has been made by man. Along the same line, I believe that the future can be also made by man. Please keep in mind that to study history is to create the future.