뉴스레터

Recently, the relationship between Korea and Japan is going to be the worst. What is needed to resolve the ever-deteriorating historical conflict between Korea and Japan? NAHF interviewed 13 Japanese history, politics, media and culture experts who have been working hard to develop Korea-Japan relations for a long time. And the contents of the interview were composed of a book titled <Korea-Japan Relations and Historical Issues told by Japanese intellectuals>. We will introduce a new book in anticipation of providing a constructive plan to solve the tangled Korean-Japanese history conflict.

Kijo Ogura (Graduation School of Kyoto University)

Efforts to Make Better Korea-Japan Relations

The interviewees selected 13 experts in Japan's political, media and cultural, and history fields. Political experts include Kijo Ogura, Hideki Kan, Shunji Hiraiwa, Satoshi Shirai, Tadashi Kimiya, Media and Culture experts are Takashi Uemura, Kazuyuki Matsubara, and History experts are Akira Nakatsuka, Aiko Utsumi, Yoshifumi Tawara, Haruki Wada, Kazuhiko Kimijima, Hiroo Mitsuhashi.

We conducted interviews with experts from October to early December 2018 for in-depth interviews and smooth progress. The field of history was fully helped by Professor Emeritus Jung Jae-jung of Seoul City University. The media and culture field was helped by former reporter Shim Kyu-sun of the Dong-A Ilbo, and the political field was helped by professor Yang Ki-ho of Sungkonghoe University. The interview was conducted in a way that generally listened to their opinions rather than actively presenting our opinions or presenting objections to expert answers. We’re going to introduce only a few of the interviews with political experts, since there are a lot of interviews to mention.

Satoshi Shirai (Bunka Gakuen University)

A feeling of disgust and opposition to Korea is formed in Japan

Professor Kijo Ogura said, "Without the Korean Wave boom, the feelings that hate Korea would not have been so severe." In the meantime, he told an episode about the Korean drama 'Winter Sonata'. NHK has been airing the drama since April 2003, and the ratings have suddenly risen, and everyone was surprised. Since then, the popularity of Korean language courses has increased, and Professor Ogura has used this drama as a textbook in the NHK Korean language lecture program. There were letters all over Japan, mostly written by women in their 40s and 80s, and the contents were almost similar. "I had no idea that there was such a beautiful world in my neighbor country," and "I became a fan because the heart of the person in the figure was beautiful and the innocence of the human being we learned in the past."

Professor Hideki Kan said that the Korea-Japan Claims Agreement of 1965 was concluded with the unresolved issue as it is, leading to the current Korea-Japan relationship. At that time, there was a lot of difference in national power, especially economic power between Korea and Japan. Even if we look at the process of negotiations on normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, the Japanese side insisted to the Korean side, "Show a clear basis for the amount you demand." However, the Korean side was in a disadvantageous position in the negotiations because there was a part that was not presented as a basis because the historical materials were lost during the Korean War. Considering that the Korean side was disadvantageous in many aspects, it was settled with the unresolved problem that the Korean side would complain about. And he said, "Like the confrontation between the two countries on colonial rule, it is the issue of forced labor that has emerged in the future."

Professor Shunji Hiraiwa talked about President Lee Myung-bak's words and actions in 2012, which caused public opinion of anti-Korean. He said there are reasons why some Japanese have antagonism towards Korea, especially President Lee Myung-bak. It was due to former President Lee Myung-bak's first landing on Dokdo as President of the Republic of Korea in August 2012, then President Lee's remarks on the Japanese emperor, and the President Lee's comment that "Japan's influence in the international community is not so great now."

Kazuyuki Matsubara (Korean Communications Association)

Yoshifumi Tawara (Children and Textbooks National Net 21)

The Essence of Conflict between Korea and Japan as Japanese Intellectuals Think

Professor Satoshi Shirai said of the essence of Japanese nationalism after the war. "I think Japan is still a first-class nation in Asia and the only developed country, even after losing the war. Japan's nationalism is from this." In the 1990s, Japan had an overwhelming economic advantage in Asia. So, in the Japanese self-consciousness, the idea that “we are the only first-class nation in Asia” was rooted. But then Japan began to stagnate. In the meantime, Japan was chased or overtaken by neighboring countries, and only self-consciousness continued to run. The Japanese thought: “We are the only first-class nation. We don’t want to join Asia. Korea and China are both cheeky.” This is the problem with the Japanese Nationalist he is talking about. They don't know themselves that they have a complex about America, and at the same time they have arrogance and superiority over Asia.

Professor Tadashi Kimiya says "The relationship between Japan and Korea is changing from asymmetrical and complementary to symmetrical and competitive, so the confrontation between Korea and Japan is getting worse. As the relationship between the two countries changes, the Republic of Korea says, "We must argue more strongly about Japan." And Japan said, "We should not just give up on the Republic of Korea. We should respond fairly." This means that the two countries have lost their patience with each other.

In addition, Takashi Uemura said, "I was attacked by the Japanese right wing after writing an article on sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army, but I am grateful that I have gained a wider world." And the explanation of the footsteps of Kazuyuki Matsubara, who has been trying for the past 30 years to revive the historical meaning of Joseon-Tongsinsa, is very exciting.