Online Encyclopedia
Korean-Japanese disputes
South Korea, North Korea, and Japan have had disputes on many issues. Although South Korea and Japan are major trading partners and there are many students, tourists, entertainers, and businesspeople travelling frequently between the two countries, Japan and the two Koreas haven't had a friendly relationship in history, to a large degree even today. Listed below are some of the issues that are still argued about.
Political Disputes
Takeshima/Dokdo
Small uninhabited islets between Japan and Korea, also known as the Liancourt Rocks, which are currently occupied by the South Korean navy. Called "Takeshima" in Japanese and "Dokdo" in Korean, their sovereignty has long been disputed among Japan, South Korea, and (less vigorously) North Korea.
Sea of Japan/East Sea
See Dispute over the name Sea of Japan
Korean Government Policies
Since regaining independence from Japan after World War II, South Korea has persistently enforced anti-Japanese policies, including a blanket ban on Japanese cultural products such as songs or books which has been lifted recently. Some historians believe the resentment arose due to Koreans being forced by Japan to adopt many aspects of Japanese culture (which was adopted by Japan from the West/Europe) as they modernized their industry. Before and during World War II, occupying Japanese forces applied policies of enforced assimilation among Koreans, causing enormous anti-Japanese feeling in Korea.
Anti-Koreanism is strong in Japan mainly by way of omiting Korea from Japan's ancient history. Japan tries to omit or leave Korea out of the record of her ancient cultural evolution. A prime example of this would be the introduction of Buddhism/Confucianism. This concept almost completely came to Japan by way of Korea, but Japan almost goes out her way to not focus on this fact. Some historians believe the resentment is due to the shame of many nationalists about the fact that their culture adopting many aspects of Korean culture. Some degree of patriotically inspired feeling against Koreans may be present in such cases.
North Korean nuclear weapons claims
Japan opposes the claimed North Korean development of nuclear weapons, stating it is a direct threat to Japan's national security. North Korea's stated the position is that this is a matter for discussion solely between North Korea and the USA, although six-nation talks proceeded in 2004 between the two Koreas, Japan, the United States, China, and Russia.
North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens
In 2002, Kim Jong Il of North Korea stated that North Korean agents had kidnapped Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s, apparently as a method of training. Five of these abducted Japanese have been allowed to return to Japan. This problem remains still unsolved, since Japan believes more abductees remain in North Korea. From North Koreas point of view Japan has many more unresolved WWII kidnappings issues which don't seem to be bother the Japanese at all.
Yasukuni Shrine
See Yasukuni Shrine.
Japanese History Textbooks
The Japanese Ministry of Education controls the content of school history textbooks to a certain extent. Each publishing company's textbook must pass inspection before it is allowed to be marketed to each school board. Some of the decisions of this inspection in regard to Japan's wartime atrocities have caused many controversies. After Tsukurukai's textbook passed the inspection in April 2001, the Korean and the Chinese governments protested strongly against Japan's whitewashing of wartime atrocities. Plus, South Korea demanded the revision 25 parts of the textbook. However, the Japanese government rejected their demands. Consequently, anti-Japanese feelings erupted throughout Korea and China. Some cultural exchanges have been stopped in protest by Koreans. This movement also arose resentment among some supporters of the book because many of them felt that the Korea and China had interfered in domestic affairs within Japan. In the end, Tsukurukai's controversial textbook was adopted by a minuscule 0.039% of the schools. It is believed that the strong opposition of leftists, labour unions, Zainichi Korean groups, and the protests of students' mothers prevented school boards from adopting the book as the official history textbook for junior high school students.
South Korean History Textbooks
In South Korea, only one history textbook, which is published by the Korean Government is used in schools.
Comfort Women
See Comfort women.
Cutural Dispute
Origin of Japanese
Archaeological studies show that a large influx of people from Korea immigrated to Japan along with technology, culture, and language. This can lead one to believe that Koreans are the cultural and ethnical father of the Japanese. It is also believed that the majority of the Japanese are the descendants of the inhabitants of Baekje, an ancient kingdom that existed in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula. TV programmes have been created in South Korea based on such a theory. What is disputed about this is whether to classify the immigrants as "Korean", since the concept of "Korean" did not exist at the time. It also interesting to note that Japanese grammar is nearly identical to Korean grammar. Since Korea had adopted the Chinese writing system first, before Japan, it was also Korea that passed on the Chinese writing system and Korean grammar. The close relationship between the languages spoken by Yamato dynasty and some of languages spoken on the Korean penninsula is not accepted with open arms in Japan, but the Imperial dialect spoken by the Yamato is nearly identical to the language spoken in Baekje. In addition, upon the collapse of the ancient Korean dynasties, Baekje and Goguryeo, Japan accepted the Koreans that fled their homeland. Most Koreans were received warmly, for they played a notable role in introducing advanced Korean cultural assets and new technology to Japan. The descendants of the Koreans eventually lost their homogeneous traits as they assimilated as part of the Japanese.
Hangul/Jindai-Moji
Called Jindai-Moji in Japanese and Sindae-Munja in Korean. It is a series of a dozen types of scripts supposedly used in ancient Japanese civilization before Japan adopted the Chinese script. It is often based on the "rediscovery" of copies of ancient documents which date after Hangul. These documents often make quite flamboyant claims. Most of them assert the existence of unknown ancient dynasties based on some Shinto gods other than the Sun god, Amaterasu Oomikami, from which the current imperial family claims lineage. Others include claims that Jesus, Moses or the Buddha visited Japan or that Japan was a part of the lost continent of Atlantis or Mu. Some Jindai Moji have a similar shape to Hangul and are actually regarded as fakes based on Hangul by serious academics. But to make matter complex (or amusing depending on the point of view), some Japanese to claim that Hangul is actually based on Jindai Moji. Then Korean counter by stating that Jindai Moji is based on unknown ancient Korean script of a forgotten society who ruled Japan in the past. The entire issue can be seen as a reflection of the desire of some Japanese and Koreans to outdo each other (and much more ancient China) on the seniority of their civilization.
Transmission of Cultural Assets
Chinese innovations such as their writing system, technlogy, administrative system, Taoism, and Confucianism were passed to Korea and then transmitted to Japan. Buddhism, a religion originating in India, was introduced to Korea via China. Then Korea introduced Japan to Buddhism. In Japan, the role Koreans played in transmitting cultural assets to Japan is often underemphasised. In turn, some Koreans tend to emphasize that ancient Korea was the "teacher" to a much less advanced Japan, while at the same time discounting the Chinese influence on the Korean civilization. Some Japanese in turn try to imply that Japan managed to develop a unique Japanese civilization after the adoption of Chinese civilization while Korea failed to do so and remainded a little China. This role reversed in the 19th century when Japan absorbed much of the West's advance technology and practice, then brought it to Korea during the period of annexation of Korea as part of Imperial Japan.
Korean believe that the transmission or the introduction of cultural assets and technology between Korea and Japan have been somewhat "one-way". However, some Japanese scholar claim that the relationship was somewhat mutla even in the ancient eras. They distort examples of Japanese culture supposedly transmitted to Korea during the period such as burial tombs called the kofun and Jomon pottery that have been found/excavated in Korea. Korean scholars then counter such arguments by factually explaining that such pieces of pottery of tombs are actually examples of the ancient Gaya and Shilla cultures that flourished in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula during the first century A.D..
Japanese Invasion and Annexation of Korea
Japan invaded Korea twice in the late 16th century and failed. In the 19th century, after winning the first Sino-Japanese war, Japan eventually annexed Korea. How each country describes this part of history causes much of the dispute between these two countries. Some Japanese rightists tend to under-emphasise the Japanese oppression of Koreans and over-emphasise the role Japanese rule had in the industrialisation and modernisation of Korea (using western techniques which Japan imported from Europe). In Korea, the opposite is the case. In addition, some comments by senior Japanese polititians in regard to Japan's war time atrocities often create a fury in Korea and China. Korean generally hold highly cirtical view of Japanese historiography and the South Korean government recently demanded the reinspection of all Japanese school textbooks. In turn there are some Japanese trying to expose some "perceived" distortion of history by Korea. These include "perceived" exaggeration of Japanese atrocities and oppression, and then accusing Koreans of alleged atrocities committed by Korean Army in the Vietnam War and Jeju Island.
Korean adoption of Japanese culture
Japan tried to eliminate the Korean language and culture by trying to force Koreans to adopt Japanese culture while the Japanese occupied Korea. it is also widely taught in Japan that the Japanese culture was independent from outer influence, such as China and Korea. However, it is widely believed that Japanese culture adopted many aspects of foreign cultures, notably Korea. The most prominent example is Taekwondo, Korea's national sport, which is believed by Japanese scholars to have developed from Japanese Shotokan Karate, but in fact uses many more kicking techniques like the martial arts practiced in ancient Korea (ex: Taekkyeon). In addition, historical records prove that Kyokushin karate, largely believed to have be a purely Japanese sport, was developed by a Korean man named Choi Bae-Dal (Mas Oyama). Yet strangely, the Japanese accuse these adoptions as examples of cultural plagiarism. The Koreans then point out cultural plagiarism committed by the Japanese ; for example, when the Japanese learned the Korean pottery craft and sword making techniques in the 1600's and introduced it to the world as their own culture/techniques. Plus, many Japanese are now enjoying Korean popular culture. BoA, a Korean singer, topped Japans music charts (the first time by a Korean); then a Korean drama called Winter Sonata became a huge hit in Japan.
Zainichi-Koreans
Zainichi (Resident Japan) is a euphemism for Koreans residing in Japan, most of them second- or third-generation Koreans who still hold either North or South Korean passports. Some were kidnapped to Japan to work in Japan during the WWII. Then their was a small influx during Korean War where many Korean came to Japan as refugees. Japanese Korean communities are split between affiliation to North or South Korea. The majority of Koreans living in Japan use Japanese names in public cause discrimiation is prevalent. They face much descrimination in terms of marriage or employment. This problem is especially accute with North Koreans as Japan does not hold formal diplomatic ties with North Korea. Part of the problem of assimilation of second or third generation Koreans is that the Japanese government bases nationality on lineage and not on the fact that these people have never set foot in Korea. In addition until recently Japan required adoption of Japanese name as part of naturalisation. Japanese discrimination against Koreans is widely reported in Korea and seen as proof that Japan has not learned from her past. Koreans believe in order not to repeat the mistakes of the past Japan must learn the correct history and not the distorted nationalistic version.
Korean-Japanese celebrities in Japan
In Japan, many singers, actors/actresses, and sports personalities and other celebrities are, in fact, Zainichi using Japanese names, but their ethnic identities are kept unreported becuase anti-Korean sentiments are high in Japan. If questions arise about the heritage of certain celebrities, and rumours are proved or disproved, such celebrities' popularity is often affected, despite the fact that such discoveries does not alter the achievement or talent of these people.
Corea/Korea
Some South Koreans claim that Japanese intentionally promoted the spelling of Korea instead of Corea during the colonial era, the reason being that K comes after J in the Latin alphabet. In 1594, the map created by Petrus Plancius of the Netherlands is known to be the oldest existing map in Europe that made reference to Korea with the marking Corea. However, a small number of maps were written with K in the word-initial position. It would be difficult to assess what really happened.
Related articles
- Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea
- List of war apology statements issued by Japan