In South Korea, Anti-Japan Backlash Hampers Push for Better Relations

Bitter comments are being exchanged as politicians in South Korea wrestle over the relationship with Japan. 

Members of the main opposition group, the Democratic Party of Korea, or DPK, use harsh language when speaking against the process of rapprochement. The danger is that the quarrel will prevent South Korea's leaders from teaming up with Japan to address common challenges — especially the threat from North Korea, which has branded both countries as enemies.

While the sharp rhetoric seems to be aimed against Japan, its real target is often President Yoon Suk-yeol, who represents the People's Power Party, or PPP.

He has held many meetings with Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida — including a summit in Seoul on September 6. 

During that meeting, President Yoon spoke of enhancing cooperation. "It is essential to maintain the positive momentum that Prime Minister Kishida and I have cultivated in our bilateral relationship," he said.

Mr Kishida, who will finish his term as leader later in September, promised to encourage his successor to keep working to enhance the relationship with South Korea. "There is a lot of history. But it is very important to inherit the efforts of our predecessors who overcame difficult times and cooperate toward the future," he said.

Next year, 2025, marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Mr Kishida said he hopes that the occasion will prove to be a positive "turning point."

Different Interpretations 

The two main political parties in South Korea take very different views on foreign policy. This is reflected in their interpretations of the summit.

A spokesman for President Yoon said the event "bore fruit." The spokesman further noted that it included a deal to cooperate with Japan to rescue citizens in emergency situations in other parts of the world.

However, Han Min-Soo from the opposition DPK claimed that the summit was an example of "humiliating, subservient diplomacy."

In his view, Japanese companies should be forced to pay more money to South Korea in relation to the colonial period which lasted from 1910 until 1945.

His DPK colleagues also believe that Japan should offer a direct apology for the events of the past. Mr Kishida, like his recent predecessors, feels no obligation to keep apologizing for Japanese colonial rule in Korea in the period before he was born.

However, during his most recent trip to Seoul, the prime minister expressed sympathy for Koreans who suffered at that time. "It breaks my heart to think that so many people in the past went through such difficult and tragic experiences under harsh circumstances," he said.

Mr Kishida insists that historical grievances should not stand in the way of a strong partnership between Japan and South Korea. However, the Japanese government has made clear that the financial issues relating to the colonial period were settled under an agreement signed in 1965.

Wedge Issue

In Mr Kishida's opinion, South Korea is a "trusted partner."

However, I have been disappointed by the lack of progress in the relationship between the countries since their leaders attended a summit hosted by President Biden at Camp David in the United States in 2023.

There has been very little in terms of concrete commitments to cooperate.

President Yoon deserves respect for his commitment to reshaping the relationship for the modern era. Although the benefits of better relations with Japan are apparent, the president's lack of public support leaves him vulnerable.

As a South Korean source told me: "Politicians recognize that there is still a strand of public opinion in South Korea which remains hostile towards Japan. Opinion polls show that President Yoon is unpopular. He will therefore be wary, sensing that if he becomes too positive about Japan, it could draw criticism from the opposition and damage his image."

In the view of this expert, the process of rapprochement "may have moved too quickly" with the Korean side sensing it has conceded a great deal of ground with little in return. "The discrepancies are growing wider," my source told me.

Security Cost

It is troubling that high political level relations between South Korea and Japan have become problematic. For the citizens of the two countries, things are going well. Tourism is flourishing, and cultural exchanges take place in many areas, including music. 

The greatest cost of a backlash against Japan would be in terms of security. It may prevent the South Korean military and intelligence services from cooperating with their Japanese counterparts. This would be to the dismay of the US, which has been encouraging closer cooperation between its staunch Asian allies.

When Mr Kishida went to Seoul from September 6-7last week, activists from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions protested. They held up signs bearing slogans, such as "Stop the push for Korea-Japan military alliance" and "No to Japan Self-Defense Forces' entrance to Korean Peninsula."

While the US is an ally of both South Korea and Japan, they are not allied to each other. This grieves the American Department of Defense, which hopes to use the militaries of Asian democracies as a bulwark against autocracy.

North Korea remains a serious problem. A large military parade was held in Pyongyang this week to mark the anniversary of the country's founding. 

Kim Jong Un received messages of congratulations from Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's leader, Xi Jinping. Putin spoke of strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership. The Chinese message was more nuanced, which analysts say may be a sign of an uneasy relationship.

China was involved in a three-way summit with the leaders of South Korea and Japan in May.  

Island Dispute

Another point of tension between South Korea and Japan relates to the status of some small uninhabited islands in the Sea of Japan.

The region is referred to by Japan as Takeshima while the Koreans call the islands Dokdo. 

"While the South Korea-US alliance exists, there is no South Korea-Japan alliance or trilateral alliance including Japan," DPK politician Park Chan-dae said recently. "We cannot form an alliance with Japan, which constantly claims sovereignty over Dokdo."

A full explanation of the dispute over the islands by Professor Shunji Hiraiwa can be found on JAPAN Forward.

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Author: Duncan Bartlett, Diplomatic Correspondent

Mr Bartlett is the Diplomatic Correspondent for JAPAN Forward and a Research Associate at the SOAS China Institute.