Korean-Japanese disputes
From Free net encyclopedia
Korea (both North and South) and Japan have had disputes on many issues over the years.
The two nations have had a complex history of cultural exchange, trade, and war which underlies relations today. In the ancient era, many cultural developments were transmitted by immigrants from Korea to Japan. [1] Later, Korea was also influenced by trade and diplomacy with Japan. The subsequent Japanese invasions of Korea (Seven-Year War, 1592-1598) and the 1910-1945 annexation, however, have scarred relations since.
Today, South Korea and Japan are major trading partners and many students, tourists, entertainers, and businesspeople travel between the two countries. North Korea, however, has little political or economic relations with Japan.
The following unresolved issues continue to make headlines regularly, and issues arising from Japan's militant past also often involve China and other Asian countries. The respective governments are also often accused of exploiting nationalism for political purposes.
Contents |
Korea under Japanese rule
Main article: Korea under Japanese rule
North and South Korea demand sincere repentance and compensation for Japan's occupation of Korea. Beginning with an "Unequal Treaty" in 1875, Japan increased its control of Korea and then officially annexed it in 1910. The next 35 years are viewed by Koreans as a period of brutal exploitation and Japanese suppression of Korean culture. Professor Carter Eckert at Harvard University, and Professor Yi (李栄薫) at Seoul National University, however, evaluate that the occupation could have helped form the foundation for the industrialization and modernization of Korea today.
Yasukuni Shrine
Main article: Yasukuni Shrine
Visits by Japanese leaders to Yasukuni Shrine, dedicated to those who fought on behalf of imperial Japan, have ignited protests in Korea, China. In 1978, 14 convicted Class-A war criminals and about 1,000 others convicted for war crimes during World War II were secretly enshrined. The shrine's publications began defending, even glorifying, Japanese war atrocities. Though Japanese emperors have not visited the shrine since, three Japanese leaders have paid their respects there. Current prime minister Junichiro Koizumi has visited five times since taking office in 2001. Koizumi has repeatedly said he visits the shrine to pray for peace and honour the dead, not to glorify militarism. Additionally, Mr. Lee Gu (son of Prince Lee Eun who was a royal prince of the imperial last in the South Korean empire) has worshipped at Yasukuni.
Comfort Women
Main article: Comfort Women
The Korean government has demanded compensation for women who were forced to work in military brothels during World War II for Japanese imperial soldiers. As the few surviving comfort women continue to struggle for acknowledgment and apology, the Japanese court system rejected such claims on the ground of the statute of limitation. However, Japanese government arranged some monetary compensation by private funds, not through official channels.
History Textbooks
Main article: Japanese history textbook controversies
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) reviews the content of school history textbooks available for selection by schools in Japan. Foreign scholars, as well as many Japanese historians, have criticized the political slant and factual errors of some textbooks that have been approved. After the revisionist Tsukurukai's textbook passed inspection in April 2001, South Korea demanded the revision of 25 parts of the textbook, to no avail. This aroused resentment among supporters of the book who felt that Korea was interfering in Japanese domestic affairs. So far, Tsukurukai's textbook has been adopted by less than 0.1% of the schools, but has become a bestseller in the general book market, and have caused other textbooks to shift to the right, for example, by omitting reference to Comfort Women. [2] But it should be noted that there are many Japanese teacher unions against the textbook.
In both North and South Korea, only one series of history textbooks each, which is published by the government, are allowed for use in schools. Some Japanese scholars claim that these textbooks use biased information in criticizing Japan and the Japanese occupation of Korea.
Compensation
Main article: Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea
Twenty years after the end of World War II, Japan and South Korea re-established diplomatic relations by signing the Treaty on Basic Relations in 1965. In 2005, South Korea disclosed diplomatic documents that detailed the proceedings of the treaty. The documents, kept secret for 40 years, revealed that Japan provided 800 million dollars in grants and soft loans to South Korea as compensation for its 1910-45 colonial rule, and that South Korea agreed to demand no further compensations, either at the government or individual level, after the treaty. [3] It has also been revealed that the South Korean government assumed the responsibility for compensating individuals on a lump sum basis [4] while rejecting Japan's proposal for direct compensation. [5] However, the South Korean government used most of the grants for economic development and have failed to provide adequate compensation to victims, paying only 300,000 won per death, a total of 2,570 million won only to the relatives of 8,552 victims who died in forced labor. [6] [7] As the result, the Korean victims are preparing to file a compensation suit against the South Korean government as of 2005.
It should be noted that the treaty does not preclude individual suits against Japanese individuals or corporations but such suits are often constrained by the statute of limitation. The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal 2000 on Japan Military Sexual Slavery, a mock trial organised by NGOs, issued a ruling that "states cannot agree by treaty to waive the liability of another state for crimes against humanity." [8]
Apology
Main article: List of war apology statements issued by Japan
Japan's prime ministers have issued official apologies several times, including Prime Minister Obuchi in the Japan-Republic of Korea Joint Declaration of 1998, and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration of 2002. [9] Koizumi said "I once again express my feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology, and also express the feelings of mourning for all victims, both at home and abroad, in the war." [10] While Koreans welcomed the earlier apologies, many Koreans now view the repeated statements as insincere, because of continuing actions of Japanese officials on the other issues listed here.
Geographic disputes
Dokdo/Takeshima
Main article: Liancourt Rocks
Although currently under South Korean control, these islets are claimed by Japan. Called "Dokdo" in Korean and "Takeshima" in Japanese, but also known as the Liancourt Rocks, the islets' surrounding waters have rich fishing grounds and possible reserves of natural gas.
In 1900, Korea incorporated it into Ulleung county. In January 1905, 10 months before Korea became a Japanese protectorate in November, Japan incorporated the islets under the doctrine of terra nullius. In January 1952, South Korea's Syngman Rhee line declaration included the Liancourt Rocks as Korean territory. In September 1954, Japan proposed to submit this problem to the International Court of Justice but South Korea rejected the proposal.
There is relatively less awareness of the dispute among the Japanese. North Korea supports the South Korean claim.
Tsushima/Daemado
Main article: Tsushima Island
Although Japanese-controlled currently, this island is claimed to be Korean by some Koreans, although not by the South Korean government. Called "Tsushima" in Japanese and "Daemado" in Korean, it was Korean-controlled briefly during the Joseon Dynasty, and possibly during the Silla era.
In 2005, when Japan's Shimane Prefecture announced Takeshima Day claiming the Liancourt Rocks as part of its jurisdiction, Korea's Masan city council proclaimed Daemado Day and declared it Korean territory.
Sea of Japan/East Sea
Main article: Sea of Japan naming dispute
Both North and South Korea insist that Japan unfairly promoted the standardization of the name "Sea of Japan" while Korea effectively lost control over its foreign policy under Japanese imperial expansion. South Korea argues that the name "East Sea", one of the various names found on ancient European maps of this sea, should be the official name instead of, or at least concurrently with, "Sea of Japan". Japan claims that most Western countries named it the "Sea of Japan" prior to 1860, before Japan's influence over Korean foreign policy grew after the outbreak of First Sino-Japanese War in 1894.
Other issues
Origin of Korean and Japanese
Main article: Origin of Korean and Japanese
The Korean and Japanese people share closely-linked ethnic, cultural, and anthropological history. There were large influxes of immigration from Korea during Yayoi and Yamato periods of Japan, which brought much culture and technology to Japan. [11] [12] Archeological, genetic, and linguistic evidence indicates a complex but close formative relationship, [13] but nationalists and some historians in both nations continue to dispute the direction, timing, and degree of influences.
Ban on Japanese Culture
After liberation from Japanese occupation, both North and South Korea banned Japanese cultural products such as music, film, and books. Starting in 1998, however, most of these bans have been gradually lifted in South Korea. Some Japanese cultures such as manga, anime and music were introduced to South Korea even while they were banned. (Korean audience were not informed that they were from Japan.) While some younger South Koreans have embraced Japanese culture, older South Koreans have not been so eager to do so.
Kidnapping of Japanese Citizens
Main Article: North Korean abductions of Japanese
In 2002, North Korea admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens during the 1970s and 1980s, to train spies to infiltrate U.S. military installations in Japan.[14] Five have been released, but eight were claimed to have died since. Japan has pressed for the return of the bodies. Many more Japanese citizens are believed to have been kidnapped and held captive in North Korea, however, and some say there may even be hundreds of such captives.
Zainichi Koreans
Main article: Zainichi Korean
Zainichi (在日, Resident Japan) refers to Korean nationals residing in Japan. Most of them are second-, third-, or fourth-generation Koreans who are not Japanese citizens, forced to relocate to or immigrated to Japan during Japan's occupation of Korea, while others later entered Japan in order to escape the Korean War. Japan revoked their Japanese citizenship after the signing of San Francisco Peace treaty which officially ended the Japanese annexation of Korea, and their country of origin, Korea, no longer existed when South Korea and North Korea became separate states. Zainichi communities are split based upon affiliation with North or South Korea (Chosen Soren and Mindan). Many Koreans living in Japan use Japanese names to hide their origin, in order to avoid discriminatory treatment.
Korea instead of Corea
Main article: Names of Korea Because of the appearance of both "Korea" and "Corea" in 19th century Western maps and documents, some Koreans claim that Japan intentionally promoted the spelling of Korea instead of Corea during the colonial era, because K comes after J in the Latin alphabet. A Japanese colonial official objected to "Corea" as a sign of Korean independence, but there is no proof of an official Japanese policy. [15]