3 in 4 Japanese distrust South Koreans – and the feeling’s mutual
- Diplomatic tiffs between the two countries are reflected in personal attitudes, a study has found
- Among the issues that rankle are everything from Japan’s colonial period to the name of the sea separating them
Three-quarters of Japanese do not trust their South Korean neighbours – and the feeling is mutual, a study has found.
Those personal sentiments appeared to mirror a strained diplomatic relationship between the two countries. Some 83 per cent of Japanese respondents thought bilateral relations were bad, up from 63 per cent last year, while 82 per cent of Koreans thought the same, up from 69 per cent last year.
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
Diplomatic rift between Japan and South Korea deepens
“I actually think that it’s quite normal that neighbouring countries do not like each other very much – there are plenty of examples around the world – but I agree that the perceptions of Japanese and Korean people have deteriorated sharply in recent years,” said Yoichi Shimada, a professor of international relations at Fukui Prefectural University.
“Just five years ago, Japanese women could not get enough of Korean pop stars or actors, but that K-pop boom is largely over now,” he said.
NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
“There are some very negative emotions and stresses between the two countries at the moment and I’m not surprised these figures are so high,” said Young-chae Song, a professor at Seoul’s Sangmyung University.
Why are Japan’s famously reserved citizens becoming more violent?
“Personally, I think that those negative emotions and the bad atmosphere is the fault of this South Korean government. President Moon appears to have gone back on efforts by the previous administration to draw a line under the past – not to forget it, but in order to be able to move forward.
“I worry that ties with Japan are being used as a political tool and that it suits some to be on bad terms with Tokyo.”
But Rah Jong-yil, a South Korean former diplomat who was stationed in Japan, was less pessimistic and cited the comment by former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli that “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”
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“The responses to this sort of survey depend on how the questions are worded, while attitudes change so quickly that it is impossible to say with certainty that these percentages are completely accurate,” he said.
“Yes, there are some deep differences between our two nations and that is very regrettable,” he said. “But it is also regrettable that the media on both sides seem to enjoy writing these kinds of headlines and deepening the problems.”