The Rising East
‘Demons of history’ still
haunt relations between
Korea, Japan and U.S.In Seoul several years ago, a Japanese journalist asserted during a conference that his nation's 40-year colonial rule of Korea had been for Korea's own good to protect it from Chinese or Russian incursions.
He had not finished his sentence before a Korean scholar, ordinarily an urbane, calm and reasoned man, exploded like a ballistic missile, letting loose a stream of invective about Japan's brutal occupation of Korea from 1905 to 1945. "If that's your attitude," the Korean shouted, "I want nothing to do with you."
The episode was a forceful reminder of the bitter animosities that endure between Koreans and Japanese even though Japan's rule of Korea ended nearly six decades ago. There is no polite way of saying this, but most Koreans still hate the Japanese and most Japanese ignore or disdain the Koreans.
For the United States, that antagonism corrodes the American security posture in Asia. Of the 91,000 American military people in the region, 40,200 are stationed in Japan and 37,600 are posted in South Korea. Despite occasional disputes, U.S. relations with Seoul and Tokyo are reasonably good -- but relations between Tokyo and Seoul are fragile at best.
The future of those relations was pondered by Americans, Koreans and Japanese in a meeting here last week that was hosted by the Pacific Forum of Honolulu, the New Asian Research Institute of Seoul and the Asian Forum Japan of Tokyo. Under the ground rules, the scholars, diplomats, business executives, research specialists, military officers and journalists who took part are not to be identified.
The discussion was on two levels. On policy, an American asserted that "what ought to be a natural strategic relationship between two geographically proximate liberal democracies with common allies remains problematic."
The American contended that U.S. leaders had ignored the Korea-Japan hostility to the detriment of U.S. interests. "If ever there was an issue that has cried out for decisive, assertive U.S. leadership, it is the issue of knitting together a sustainable, virtual alliance between the United States, Japan and Korea," he contended.
On a private level, Koreans and Japanese noted progress toward better relations through student and scholarly exchanges, translated literature in both directions, joint business ventures, tourist travel and, recently, Koreans being willing to import Japanese films and music. But that has only dented deep-seated suspicions.
When it came to figuring out why two nations are so contentious when their cultures, languages, political systems, economies and security needs have so much in common, the Americans, Koreans and Japanese generally agreed that it was what one called "the demons of history."
In particular, Korean schools and universities, museums and historical sites, press and television dwell on the wrongs of the Japanese rule.
College freshmen can recite the provisions of the Taft-Katsura agreement of 1905 under which the United States recognized Japan's claim to Korea. How come? "Because it's on the entrance exam," a Korean student explained.
On the other side, Japanese histories often slight the historical debt of Japanese culture to Korea. In recent times, Koreans have objected to Japanese textbooks that seem to play down Japan's colonialism or the issue of Korean "comfort women" who were forced into prostitution for Japanese soldiers during World War II.
The burden of history, however, seems not enough to explain this persistent enmity. An American argued that Americans have had two wars with Britain, yet count Britain among its closest allies today. The United States fought a bloody war with Japan and Germany within living memory but now count the Japanese and the Germans as close allies.
Another American who has served in both Korea and Japan focused on the Koreans as the main cause. "It's all about Korean attitudes," he contended, as Koreans struggle for identity out of the shadow of Japan.
Korean envy may play into a competitive love/hate relationship. More than once, a Korean has scorned the Japanese, then turned around to assert that Korea can make cars, or electronic goods, or ships or whatever that are just as good as those made in Japan.
A Korean sense of oppression from the outside seems to make them feisty. A thoughtful Korean scholar said some years ago, "You must remember that we live next door to the world's most populous nation (China), the world's largest nation (the then-Soviet Union) and the world's second most powerful economy (Japan)."
Richard Halloran is a former correspondent
for The New York Times in Asia and a former editorial
director of the Star-Bulletin. His column appears Sundays.
He can be reached by e-mail at rhalloran@starbulletin.com