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By Bernard Rowan
These days, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has continued its diplomatic efforts. They succeed in working in unison with the United States and Japan on Northeast Asian security. The major gambit concerns China, not North Korea, though Kim Jong-un continues the usual antics to demand attention. Yoon and his government face criticism for working with Japan, including from China. I'd say the latter is the surest sign Yoon and South Korea are moving in the right direction.
Many South Koreans, just like many Chinese and North Koreans, distrust Japan. Japan was an imperial and colonizing power and a fascist nation. Resonances of old sentiments remain among ultraconservatives. War crimes and treatment of sex slaves and territorial claims to Dokdo arise as issues. Many will never forgive Japan for what its government did in the past. This is a limiting factor.
However, I've written before and now that Japan isn't the enemy. There is no forever in politics under the sun, moon and stars. The need to develop a deep bench in the Alliance for Freedom against the forces of autocracy is real and shows no signs of abating. If China were serious about peace, she'd do more to pressure Pyongyang. That's not going to happen anytime soon. China likes to see the North frustrate the allies of democracy.
South Korea has nothing to fear any longer from Japan. It has much more to fear from China and North Korea. Letting go of past grievances isn't an easy thing to do and it doesn't happen all at once. However, looking at today's Japan, her society is much closer to that of South Korea in governmental and economic ways than is South Korea to China or North Korea. One day, it's possible that South Korea will have an economy as big or bigger than Japan's. At present it is one-fourth the size of the Japanese economy. Japan and South Korea continue to develop their trade, social exchanges and linkages. There are many Koreans in Japan and growing numbers of Japanese in South Korea.
Beware the pitfalls of scapegoating. It's easy to "hate Japan" for the past as a way of coping with what ails South Korea at present, especially when aggravating ultra-nationalists in Japan make statements, refuses apologies and temporizes over what is inexcusable. However, the shadow of Japan's past is not a present enemy, not in any real way. Japan couldn't do today what it did in the last century. South Korea can defend itself against any enemy. Japan isn't the enemy.
I hope South Korea can wean itself from the dichotomy of conservative and liberal politics about Japan. The fundamental global dichotomy today is between freedom and autocracy. Unfortunately, if there is a nation of which to be wary, it is South Korea's other neighbors. The competition between China and the United States holds many things hostage, even as it provides some grand context, to use a poor phrase, for much of global politics.
I'm glad that the G7, Yoon and Kishida, Hiroshima memorial visits and other moments build positive ties. These building blocks can forge a new era of friendship and cooperation between South Korea and Japan. There is room for both nations to join in helping to develop the Indo-Pacific region in ways that allow for democracy and development. Cooperation in the development of energy technologies and working on the availability of scarce materials for microchips and computer technologies are other important avenues for collaboration.
Before the era of Xi Jinping, I felt South Korea should hew to China as a future partner, and based on long-standing mutual cultural and social influences and history. However, as South Korea has developed into a world power, in large part through the cultivation of soft power, as well as industrial and technological might, matters changed. China has ossified its communist technology and hardened its alliance with the Kim dynasty. Profoundly disappointing as that is, there is no real option to lean to China today for any nation in the region that values its independence. The example of Hong Kong and the over-the-top intentions toward Taiwan deafen any opportunities for rapprochement with Beijing.
Yesterday's enemy maybe today's friend if we allow for the possibility. The path of South Korean progress need not depend too much on any ally, not even the United States. But it wouldn't be prudent to spurn the possibilities for peace and mutual benefit from wider cooperation with Japan.
Bernard Rowan is associate provost and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University as well as former visiting scholar at the Asiatic Research Center, Korea University. You can reach him at browan10@yahoo.com.
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