Why are Japan and South Korea Fighting? The East Asian spat that will never seem to go away.

PoliticsInternational RelationsInsight
Written By Phoebe Lai
Image Source: Financial Times/AFP

Image Source: Financial Times/AFP

The statistics sound scary. Economic damage being inflicted on both parties that seem adamant about standing their ground in this conflict. However, resolving this trade war is not merely a question of economics; rather an all-encompassing solution that till this day, is nowhere to be found.

Behind the economic front of the Japanese-South Korean trade war lies the deep historical and political disagreements that have fuelled this conflict. Here is a kind of simplified analysis of the reasons of how we got here, and why it is continuing:

It must be made clear that bilateral relations between the two countries have never been smooth sailing. The painful history of Japanese colonisation of South Korea from 1910 to 1945 left a deep psychological scar on the Korean psyche, and atrocities that happened then set the stage for a rocky relationship moving forward. Furthermore, it seems that the Japanese damage control post-war does not help the situation at hand — a top-down negligence of politicians in incorporating a sense of repentance for wartime atrocities into both domestic and foreign policies often contribute to uneasy undercurrents in Japan’s bilateral relations with her neighbours. Think of it as other countries reacting to a Germany who is insincere and unapologetic for her Nazi past, trying to forget the painful history and just ‘get on with business’. The lack of emphasis on learning about Japanese wartime history among the Japanese people cultivates an unrepentant and nonchalant attitude, leading people in formerly devastated countries (like South Korea) to view Japan in a negative light.

The Issue of Comfort Women & Forced Labour:

During the Japanese occupation, many Asian women (including Korean ones) were forcibly sent to serve Japanese soldiers as sex slaves in military brothels. Additionally, as Japan was mobilising for WWII, it yet again forcibly put Koreans to work in hard labour, as well as enlist as soldiers. Undoubtedly, this leaves a scarring impact on bilateral relations on a social level, as the younger generation of South Koreans feel aggrieved for their predecessors who had to experience this first hand.

A compensatory treaty in 1965, where a total of $500 million worth of loans and grants were provided to South Korea by the Japanese, is where the the problems stems from. This was also when the two counties established official diplomatic relations.

The lack of South Korean popular support for the treaty then, due to the context in which it was agreed upon, fuels the current-day South Korean dissatisfaction towards the Japanese. Back then, South Korea had no choice but to rely on Japan in her early days of development post devastation of the Korean War, amidst the backdrop of other countries being in political turmoil — China going through the cultural revolution, and North Korea aligning closely with the Soviet Union. The treaty being signed by the then authoritarian leader Park Chung-hee, a highly controversial figure in South Korean history, further polarises opinions. Today, South Korea is economically and politically in a much superior position, empowering them to express their suppressed sentiments; since they can now turn to an economically powerful China for closer trading ties, replacing Japan.

Japanese sentiments are that the 1965 treaty covers all ground for compensation, and that the recent South Korean actions of aggression in 2018 are uncalled for. In their defence, on face value, Japan has taken actions to atone for previous wartime atrocities - the 1965 treaty and economic aid, the 1994 Asian Women’s Fund set up by Japanese government to distribute monetary compensation to former comfort women, as well as an official apology in 2015. To the Japanese, South Korea’s constant rebuttal of nonacceptance in the name of insincerity has exasperated them. The Japanese are at their wits’ end in apologising, increasing their dissent towards South Korean responses.

The Political Climate: Comfort Women Statue Removed

A final deal was struck in 2015 between Japanese and South Korean governments regarding comfort women, whereby the Japanese government offered 1bn Yen and a formal apology. Things seemed settled, but the aftermath proved trying. Since the then South Korean government was then led by Park Geun-hye, who was later impeached on corruption charges, this was seen as Park using the deal as political leverage to gain popularity, hence insincere by the wider public. Additionally, the deal being struck behind closed doors without consultation from the victims further undermines its genuinity. Hence, South Korean public perception of the apology saw it as insincere, with victims refusing to accept reparations.

As part of the deal, the South Korean government would not criticise the removal of a statue symbolising comforts women, which was located outside the Japanese embassy in South Korea. However, this top-down imposed deal saw public opposition when 250 protestors gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul to express their disapproval towards the deal. Japan is hence caught in the middle of this divide in opinion between the political ruling class and the public in South Korea, making it very difficult for commentators to point fingers and name either country as a roadblock to peaceful relations.

Domestic political considerations also play a part: In South Korea, President Moon Jae-in was re-elected on a campaign promise to revisit the issue of comfort women, and having a nationalist stance on protecting the interests of South Koreans played well to the success of his campaign. Across the sea, President Abe similarly politicises this issue ahead of parliamentary elections, where standing strong against a common enemy of South Korea temporarily boosts his popularity in the name of nationalist sentiments.

Long-lasting Points of Conflict: The Symbolism of the Rising Sun flag & Disputed Territory:

Aside from the current political disagreements between them, Japan and South Korea have long standing disputes over disputed territory, as well as the symbolism of the Rising Sun flag. The Dokdo/Takeshima Islands have been claimed by both countries for the past 300 years. While de facto occupancy has been held by South Korea since 1954, Japan contests this on a seemingly symbolic and historical front, since these islands have vague economic value. This dispute is laced with historical symbolism that is now politicised in the name of national pride, since the ownership of these islands have little impact on the everyday lives of ordinary Japanese/South Korean citizens.

Another longstanding issue is Japan’s use of the rising sun as a national symbol. Reignited by Japanese authorities refusal to ban the usage of the Rising Sun flag in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, this symbol of Japanese imperialism, arguably akin to the symbolism of the swastika, to the South Koreans is highly offensive. With both countries refusing to budge, this serves as another obstacle to achieving peaceful bilateral relations.

Throwing Economics in the Mix:

A new wave of tensions reignited in 2018 when a South Korean court ordered Japanese firms Nippon Steel & Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to compensate South Koreans used as forced labour during the colonised period. Japan insisted that the issue of forced labour was settled under the 1965 treaty, and even threatened visa restrictions and tariffs in retaliation.

Furthermore, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reportedly refused to comply with court order, leading to some Japanese companies having their assets seized in South Korea. The situation further deteriorated when South Korea refused third-party arbitration over these court rulings.

Here’s what happened next — Japan removed South Korea as a favoured trading partner, imposing export controls on the important electronics sector. In particular, the three crucial input materials South Korea imports from Japan to manufacture memory chips and display screens. The economic impact is not negligible since South Korean firms exported around 60% of global memory components in 2018, according to IHS Markit; with further potential impacts on global supply chains since South Korea is a major producer of semiconductors, and Samsung and LG Electronics hold more than 90% of the global organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen market, according to DBS.

Japan insists that this decision was a purely economic and domestic one, due to South Korea’s alleged insufficient export controls. However, the timing of this decision, months after the 2018 court rulings, alludes to a retaliation towards it; marking the unprecedented usage of economic policy as ammunition to hit back in this bilateral dispute.

A civilian-led boycott on Japanese goods in South Korea followed, with public dissent peaking when a South Korean man set himself on fire in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Public dissent matched the governmental response to remove Japan off her whitelist, further deteriorating trade relations between the countries. This saw the lowest point in bilateral relations in recent history, starting a period of tensions that even extended to military non-cooperation in the form of GSOMIA, an intelligence-sharing pact struck in 2014.

Looking Forward: a Path to Peaceful Relations?

It seems that this problem has been heavily politicised to the point where current day politicians continually reignite this problem to their benefit. Elements of national pride prevent either side from extending the olive branch, whereby this complicated relationship has found no conciliatory solution to the deep rooted problems at hand. Trilateral talks between South Korea, Japan and China look promising, as it marked the first formal talks between the countries since September 2018. While things may seem to have cooled down for now, the reality is that negative sentiments linger, and will continue to do so in the near future. The political class-public divide in South Korea must also be resolved to allow for tangible discussions and agreements to be made in the future.

Resources and references:

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Phoebe Lai
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