Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist September 2019 | Page 43

SPOTLIGHT
Japan-South Korea
Waxed and Waned Relations
BY Dr. Paulo Daniel Watanabe*
J
apan and South Korea have been facing new relationship
problems lately. The old problems are not gone. They are
just in the standby mode. Asia itself shows that history is
an important element to diplomatic relations and it should not
be overlooked. Japan, just like other powers, finds it difficult
- almost impossible - to recognise its actions during wartime.
One may say that it is time to overcome the differences
and get together. The international community has been
expecting that from both countries since both are democratic
and represent the common values of Western civilization.
Both share the same rivals and the same partners. Both are
threatened by the same opponent (North Korea) and both have
significant commercial and security relations with the US.
The FIFA World Cup in 2002 was an important event that
united - for some days - both countries under the soccer flag.
The opening ceremony held in Korea raised hopes around an
eventual rapprochement beyond commerce but it did not work
out as expected. It indeed created a good image of cooperation
and integration, but it was not enough.
Apart from history and Japanese occupations, Japan and
Korea have also territorial disputes. Dokdo / Takeshima
islands are administered by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo. As
other territorial conflicts in East Asia, diplomatic talks seem
not to be enough to settle disputes and they can always trigger
new disagreements of any nature.
Postwar Japan was convinced that it was necessary to
bring Asia together again under the umbrella of trade and
development. This is why Japan sought not to settle any issue
by military means. In postwar Japan, there was an idea that
there could be great powers without military power and Japan
could be one of them or the first one of them. Naturally, Japan
could not be defenseless. Most of all defense issues would
be dealt by the US under a persistent security agreement that
is still valid today.
Other Asian nations welcomed postwar Japan’s initiative
which was granted by the Japanese Constitution in 1947.
From that moment on, as Japan’s economy grew fast, other
nations, such as China and South Korea, also benefited from
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 9 • September 2019, Noida • 43