{"id":2199369,"date":"2022-11-09T08:47:08","date_gmt":"2022-11-09T08:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2199369"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:11:01","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:11:01","slug":"the-rising-sun-will-rise-again-rok-fears-of-japanese-militarism-linger-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/11\/the-rising-sun-will-rise-again-rok-fears-of-japanese-militarism-linger-on\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rising Sun will rise again? ROK fears of Japanese militarism linger on"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Korea participated in a Japanese fleet review for the first time in seven years over the weekend, the latest step forward in mending ties between the two U.S. allies. But the opposition party\u2019s strong anti-Japanese reaction underlined that the relationship remains on shaky ground.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The key source of the controversy domestically stems from the fact that the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) flies a flag similar to the Rising Sun, <\/span>seen by many<\/span><\/a> as a symbol of Japan\u2019s imperialist past.<\/span><\/p>\n

South Korean navy personnel also saluted in the direction of the flag when Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sailed by on the Izumo, though Seoul <\/span>maintained<\/span><\/a> the salute was actually to the representative of the host nation in accordance with international custom.<\/span><\/p>\n

South Korean defense minister Lee Jong-sup sought to preempt criticism ahead of the fleet review by stressing that the MSDF flag is <\/span>not the same<\/span><\/a> as the Rising Sun \u2014 the red circle on the MSDF flag is <\/span>slightly to the left<\/span><\/a> of where it is on the Rising Sun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the opposition Democratic Party (DP) strongly criticized Seoul\u2019s participation in the fleet review all the same, with one lawmaker <\/span>stating<\/span><\/a> that the Yoon administration was \u201cunable to call the Rising Sun the Rising Sun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another DP lawmaker also <\/span>raised<\/span><\/a> unresolved disputes<\/span><\/a> like so-called comfort women \u2014 Koreans and others that were forced to serve in Japanese brothels during World War II \u2014 and compensation for wartime forced laborers when Lee joined a parliamentary session on Monday, questioning the wisdom of South Korea\u2019s participation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The defense minister said he sees those as separate issues from the fleet review and expressed hope Jeon would view South Korea\u2019s participation as in the country’s national security interest.<\/span><\/p>\n

That appears unlikely to happen. The DP criticism followed <\/span>remarks<\/span><\/a> by party leader Lee Jae-myung finding fault with U.S.-ROK-Japan naval <\/span>missile defense drills<\/span><\/a> in early October. The former presidential candidate <\/span>warned<\/span><\/a> that a trilateral military alliance will make South Korea an \u201coutpost\u201d in a new Cold War and even claimed that the Rising Sun flag could \u201cagain hang over the peninsula.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Some lawmakers from Japan\u2019s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) also <\/span>opposed<\/span><\/a> South Korea\u2019s attendance at the fleet review this year. According to them, it was inappropriate to invite South Korea because Seoul hasn\u2019t apologized for allegedly targeting<\/a> one of its surveillance aircraft <\/span>with a fire control radar system in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

This gave the DP more ammunition to use to ramp up pressure on the Yoon administration, <\/span>accusing<\/span><\/a> Japan of distorting the incident and misleading international opinion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Japan\u2019s fleet review on Sunday | Image: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force<\/a> Twitter (Nov. 7, 2022)<\/p><\/div>\n

PAST PLAGUES PRESENT<\/b><\/p>\n

Anti-Japanese sentiment has proven a powerful force in the recent past, even spilling over into security issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2018, South Korea\u2019s Supreme Court ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Inc. and Nippon Steel Corp. to compensate victims of forced labor during World War II. But Japan maintained that it <\/span>settled all issues<\/span><\/a> concerning forced labor with South Korea when it <\/span>established diplomatic relations<\/span><\/a> in 1965.<\/span><\/p>\n

The court decision seemed to prompt <\/span>retaliatory economic measures<\/span><\/a> from Tokyo, which in turn sparked <\/span>\u201cNo Japan\u201d boycott<\/span><\/a> in South Korea and <\/span>nearly culminated<\/span><\/a> in Seoul withdrawing from the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).<\/span><\/p>\n

North Korea\u2019s <\/span>increasingly frequent missile launches<\/span><\/a> and a <\/span>potentially imminent nuclear test<\/span><\/a> should strengthen the Yoon administration\u2019s argument for bolstering military cooperation with the Japanese.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the same forced labor issue could once again ignite tensions between Seoul and Tokyo.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the Supreme Court <\/span>delayed<\/span><\/a> its ruling on the case in August, <\/span>reports<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>Kyodo News <\/span><\/i>in October suggest that the two countries are discussing a plan for a foundation funded by South Korean companies to compensate the victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kyodo <\/span><\/i>added<\/span><\/a> that the forced labor compensation problem was likely on the agenda during Yoon\u2019s recent meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, and that the two sides aim to resolve the issue by the end of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

But even if Tokyo does agree to this arrangement, the victims themselves might not support it, and this risks backlash from the South Korean public.<\/span><\/p>\n

The victims have previously <\/span>demanded<\/span><\/a> direct negotiations with the Japanese companies, suggesting that they believe the issue is just as much about the perpetrators paying the compensation as the compensation in and of itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

And just ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling at the end of October, the chairperson of an ROK association focusing on the wartime labor issue <\/span>described<\/span><\/a> the plan as \u201ctrampling on the victims\u2019 dignity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

South Koreans have opposed attempts by the government to make deals on historical issues before.<\/span><\/p>\n

The previous conservative government under Park Geun-hye <\/span>faced criticism<\/span><\/a> after concluding an arrangement on the comfort women issue. The resulting foundation <\/span>unraveled<\/span><\/a> under the succeeding Moon Jae-in administration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida | Image: South Korean presidential office<\/a> (Sept. 21, 2022)<\/p><\/div>\n

PASSING THE PAST<\/b><\/p>\n

South Korea and Japan\u2019s decision to include the ROK navy in the fleet review can be seen as cautious progress toward improving relations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Japan <\/span>didn\u2019t attend<\/span><\/a> South Korea\u2019s fleet review in 2018 due to Seoul\u2019s opposition to the MSDF flag, and <\/span>didn\u2019t invite<\/span><\/a> South Korea to its 2019 fleet review due to the 2018 radar incident. Neither side has reached a consensus about these controversies, but they decided to push through domestic opposition in both countries anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

Going forward, Yoon <\/span>might have a chance<\/span><\/a> to discuss these issues with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at upcoming ASEAN meetings in Cambodia and the G20 in Indonesia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet as recent years have shown, fundamental differences between the two countries mean that any agreements are at risk of disintegrating almost as quickly as they were made.<\/span><\/p>\n

Edited by Bryan Betts<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Defense & Security<\/span><\/a>Inter-Korean & Foreign Relations<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Korea participated in a Japanese fleet review for the first time in seven years over the weekend, the latest step forward in mending ties between the two U.S. allies. But the opposition party\u2019s strong anti-Japanese reaction underlined that the relationship remains on shaky ground.\u00a0 The key source of the controversy domestically stems from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5769,"featured_media":2199366,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[26,28],"yoast_head":"\nThe Rising Sun will rise again? 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