It takes two to Tango: the difficult Japan–South Korea relations as clash of realities

Abstract

Why do Japan–South Korea relations remain tense despite repeated efforts to overcome the past? Elite narratives in Japan and South Korea reify the bilateral relationship as a difficult problem. For the Japanese policy elites, the difficulty is due to South Korean unwillingness to embrace a future-oriented relationship; whereas for the South Korean policy elites, the source of the problem is the unwillingness of the Japanese to sincerely address past wrong-doing. The result is a self-fulfilling prophecy of an intractable mutual misapprehension, suggesting that the difficult relationship is here to stay. I analyse pronouncements by both the Japanese and South Korean policy elites appearing in official documents and media reports for clues into the manner in which the bilateral relationship is reified into a difficulty purportedly due to the recalcitrance of the neighbour. The narratives consistently show that both the Japanese and South Korean policy elites consider the onus of improvement lies with the troublesome/insincere neighbour. In short, the bilateral relationship is a clash of realities, with the logical conclusion being that the difficult relationship will persist for the foreseeable future.

Revolution and restoration in post-war East Asia: A Gramscian approach to the ‘history problem’

“…Thus, when one actor accuses another of being troublesome or insincere, ‘difficulty’ as a label takes on a life of its own and conflict becomes ingrained. This reification of ‘difficulty’ means that the image of a troublesome/insincere neighbour becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (Tamaki 2020: 2).…”