Apologies and strained relations between Japan and South Korea

Rikkyo University Professor Seongbin Hwang. (Photo: Jas Kirt/ UCLA.)

Differences in the historical narratives of Japan and Korea have perpetuated negative feelings between the neighboring countries that apologies seem unable to resolve.

by Jas Kirt (UCLA 2015)

At a recent event hosted by the Center for Korean Studies, Rikkyo University Professor Seongbin Hwang discussed the lack of affinity between the Japanese and Korean populations. Specifically, he observed that the notion of apology has been an important factor in explaining the absence of empathy between the two nations following the end of World War II.

Hwang posed two important questions: Why do Korean people think that Japan hasn’t given a sincere apology to them, despite witnessing many Japanese people publicly apologizing? Why do the people of Japan think they have done enough, even though their media has reported on far fewer such apologies than the South Korean media? For Hwang, both the Korean desire for apology in a post-colonial era and the utility of such apologies in the domestic politics of each society are a large part of the answer to these questions.

A disputed history

The conflicting historical narratives of Japan and South Korea stem primarily from events that took place prior to and during World War II. Japan ruled Korea as a colonial power from roughly 1905 to the end of the Second World War, during which it exploited the country and its population, particularly during the Pacific War against the Allied powers. The Japanese Red Army committed a series of war crimes at this time, including the forced migration and labor of Koreans and the sexual enslavement of Korean women (known as “comfort women”).

While some Japanese individuals refuse to acknowledge or admit to the crimes that occurred during WWII, others claim that the atrocities have been exaggerated by their critics. Consequently, many South Koreans have accused the Japanese of denying historical facts, leaving relations between the two nations consistently unfriendly.

Media coverage of Japanese apologies

In Korea, argued Hwang, the media regularly asserts that Japan has never shown sincere remorse for its wartime past, despite reporting on numerous “apology visits” of Japanese government officials and individuals. Japanese media, on the other hand, has not covered these visits as extensively as their South Korean counterparts. Instead, it has highlighted angry Koreans demanding an official apology and reparations, interpreting these images as playing the “diplomatic card.”

During the 1960s, South Korean newspapers covered the first message of apology from Japan as a way to assuage the Korean population’s skepticism about the normalization treaty (Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of South Korea). However, between 1965 and 1980, South Korean newspapers paid little attention to the desire for a Japanese apology; rather, the media of both countries focused on economic developments and improved relations.

As clashes between the historical narratives of the two peoples intensified, however, the desire for an apology from Japan gradually became a commonplace topic in Korean media.

The media coverage of Japanese apologies differs greatly not only between South Korean and Japanese media, but also between liberal and conservative media outlets. In Japan, liberal and conservative newspapers differ in their perspective on the nation’s wartime history and neighbor policies, argued Hwang. But in South Korea, all national newspapers currently share the same general feeling on the need for an apology from Japan.

One case cited by Hwang concerned the Japanese and Korean media response to a Japanese businessman’s donation of 5 million yen to Korean victims of the atomic bomb in 1990. One Korean article argued that the donation came from the businessman’s “sense of minimal responsibility.” Hwang added that he was unable to find any Korean news stories about a thank you for the donation, nor was he able to find any Japanese news stories on the event. Selective news coverage is utilized in both countries to fit domestic political agendas, he noted.

Independent apologies

Over the last few decades, an increasing number of Japanese individuals have begun to apologize for the actions of their Japanese ancestors. These events have occurred independently of formal government apologies and began receiving significant news attention in South Korea in the year 2000.

There have been many notable independent “apology visits” to Korea, including by the grandchildren of the assassins of the Korean emperor and by a famous Japanese Buddhist. Although many Korean news outlets cover these events, they are seldom covered by Japanese media.

Yet Hwang noted that despite the increase in “apology events,” Korea ironically demands further apologies and reparations, while the Japanese believe that they have already apologized enough.

In order to make progress, the speaker said the Korean and Japanese governments must work towards mutual reconciliation at the diplomatic level. Unfortunately, the current overwhelming presence of nationalist parties in both governments subverts the effectiveness of individual apologies, while also hindering diplomatic progress, he concluded.

Published: Friday, April 24, 2015