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Korea (both North and South) and Japan have had disputes on many issues over the years.

The two nations have had a complex history of cultural exchange, trade, and war which underlies relations today. In the ancient era, many cultural developments were transmitted by immigrants from Korea to Japan. Later, Korea was also influenced by trade and diplomacy with Japan. The subsequent Japanese invasions of Korea (Seven-Year War, 1592-1598) and the 1910-1945 annexation, however, have scarred relations since.

Today, South Korea and Japan are major trading partners and many students, tourists, entertainers, and businesspeople travel between the two countries. North Korea, however, has little political or economic relations with Japan.

The following unresolved issues continue to make headlines regularly, and issues arising from Japan's militant past also often involve China and other Asian countries. The respective governments are also often accused of exploiting nationalism for political purposes.

Korea under Japanese rule

North and South Korea demand sincere repentance and compensation for Japan's occupation of Korea. Beginning with the Treaty of Ganghwa in 1875, Japan increased its involvement in Korea culminating in the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910, which has led to feelings of resentment in modern day Korea. Some historians such as Professor Carter Eckert at Harvard University and Professor Yi (李栄薫) at Seoul National University, however, point out that the occupation, through the establishment of infrastructure, could have helped form the foundation for the industrialization and modernization of Korea today. Arguments such as this, how Japan's occupation helped build infrastructure in order to justify the enslavement, suffering and deaths of millions add to the feelings of resentment.

Yasukuni Shrine

Visits by Japanese leaders to Yasukuni Shrine, dedicated to those who fought on behalf of imperial Japan, have ignited protests in Korea and China since 1985. In 1978, it was publicized that 14 convicted Class-A war criminals and about 1,000 others convicted for war crimes during World War II were enshrined. Though Japanese emperors have not visited the shrine since, three Japanese leaders have paid their respects there. Additionally, Mr. Lee Gu (son of Prince Lee Eun who was a royal prince of the Korean empire) has been seen at Yasukuni. Current prime minister Junichiro Koizumi has visited five times since taking office in 2001. Koizumi has responded to criticisms regarding his visits by stating that his visits to the shrine are to pray for peace and honor the dead, not to glorify militarism.

Comfort Women

The Korean government has demanded compensation for women who were forced to work in military brothels during World War II for Japanese imperial soldiers. As the few surviving comfort women continue to struggle for acknowledgment and apology, the Japanese court system rejected such claims on the ground of the statute of limitation. However, the Japanese government arranged some monetary compensation by private funds, not through official channels. These funds have been rejected due to their unofficial nature, which most comfort women regard as insincere. Some right-wing, conservative Japanese scholars claim that the comfort women were not forced into prostitution and deny coercive military involvement.

History Textbooks

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) reviews the content of school history textbooks available for selection by schools in Japan. Foreign scholars, as well as many Japanese historians, have criticized the political slant and factual errors of some textbooks that have been approved. After the revisionist Tsukurukai's textbook passed inspection in April 2001, South Korea demanded the revision of 25 parts of the textbook, to no avail. This aroused resentment among supporters of the book who felt that Korea was interfering in Japanese domestic affairs. So far, Tsukurukai's textbook has been adopted by less than 0.1% of the schools, but has become a bestseller in the general book market, and have caused other textbooks to shift to the right, for example, by omitting reference to Comfort women. But it should be noted that there are many Japanese teacher unions against the textbook.

In both North and South Korea, only one series of history textbooks each, which is published by the government, are allowed for use in schools. Some right-wing, conservative Japanese scholars claim that these textbooks use biased information in criticizing Japan and the Japanese occupation of Korea.

Compensation

Twenty years after the end of World War II, Japan and South Korea re-established diplomatic relations by signing the Treaty on Basic Relations in 1965. In 2005, South Korea disclosed diplomatic documents that detailed the proceedings of the treaty. The documents, kept secret for 40 years, revealed that Japan provided 800 million dollars in grants and soft loans to South Korea as compensation for its 1910-45 colonial rule, and that South Korea agreed to demand no further compensations, either at the government to government level or individual to government level, after the treaty. It has also been revealed that the South Korean government assumed the responsibility for compensating individuals on a lump sum basis while rejecting Japan's proposal for direct compensation. However, the South Korean government used most of the grants for economic development and have failed to provide adequate compensation to victims, paying only 300,000 won per death, a total of 2,570 million won only to the relatives of 8,552 victims who died in forced labor. As the result, the Korean victims are preparing to file a compensation suit against the South Korean government as of 2005.

It should be noted that the treaty does not preclude individual suits against Japanese individuals or corporations but such suits are often constrained by the statute of limitation. The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal 2000 on Japan Military Sexual Slavery, a mock trial organised by NGOs, issued a ruling that "states cannot agree by treaty to waive the liability of another state for crimes against humanity."

Apology

Japan's prime ministers have issued official apologies several times, including Prime Minister Obuchi in the Japan-Republic of Korea Joint Declaration of 1998, and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration of 2002. Koizumi said "I once again express my feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology, and also express the feelings of mourning for all victims, both at home and abroad, in the war." While Koreans welcomed the earlier apologies, many Koreans now view the repeated statements as insincere, because of continuing actions of Japanese officials on the other issues listed here. In one example, hundreds of Japanese politicians made a tributory visit to the Yasukuni Shrine at the exact same time as an apology from Koizumi was taking place. These conflicts in action versus words have caused many to distrust Japanese statements of apology. In addition, almost all politicians who apologized at official international forums would later retract or contradict their apologies at home in Japan causing confusion internationally. Most apologies are seen as vague statements of regret or sadness for a tragic past which fail to indicate specifics.

Geographic disputes

Dokdo/Takeshima

Although currently under South Korean control, these islets are also claimed by Japan. The islets are called "Dokdo" in Korean and "Takeshima" in Japanese. There are valuable fishing grounds around the islets and reserves of natural gas have recently been found.

Koreans claim that the islets were historically Korean with earliest Korean records dating back to 512 under the Silla Kingdom. Furthermore, it is argued that as recently as 1900, Korea exercised sovergnty over the islands by incorporating Dokdo into Ulleung county. Japan claims the 1900 incorporation was over different island now called Kwaneum-do in Korean.

The harbinger of Japanese claims is the incorporation of the islets into Shimane Prefecture in 1905 under the doctrine of terra nullius. Koreans reject this claim, however, by pointing out that the Japanese claim over the islets was the first of its eventual claim over the rest of Korea. Korea was forced to become a protectorate of Japan in 1905 after King Kojong was forced to abdicate his throne and Empress Min was murdered by Japanese assassins.

In January 1952, South Korea's Syngman Rhee line declaration included Dokdo as Korean territory. Since September 1954, Japan has kept proposing to submit this problem to the International Court of Justice but South Korea has been rejecting the proposal or even to acknowledge the dispute. North Korea supports the South Korean claim.

Tsushima/Daemado

Although Japanese-controlled currently, this island is claimed to be Korean by some Koreans, but not by the South Korean government. Called "Tsushima" in Japanese and "Daemado" in Korean, it was Korean-controlled briefly during the Joseon Dynasty, and possibly during the Silla era.

In 2005, when Japan's Shimane Prefecture announced Takeshima Day claiming the Dokdo as part of its jurisdiction, Korea's Masan city council proclaimed Daemado Day and declared it Korean territory.

Sea of Japan/East Sea

Both North and South Korea insist that Japan unfairly promoted the standardization of the name "Sea of Japan" while Korea effectively lost control over its foreign policy under Japanese imperial expansion. South Korea argues that the name "East Sea", one of the most common names found on ancient European maps of this sea, should be the official name instead of, or at least concurrently with, "Sea of Japan". Japan claims that Western countries named it the "Sea of Japan" prior to 1860, before Japan's influence over Korean foreign policy grew after the outbreak of First Sino-Japanese War in 1894.

Other issues

Ban on Japanese Culture

After liberation from Japanese occupation, both North and South Korea banned Japanese cultural products such as music, film, and books. Starting in 1998, however, most of these bans have been gradually lifted in South Korea. Some Japanese cultural items such as manga, anime and music were introduced to South Korea even while they were banned. (the Korean audience was not informed that they were from Japan.) While some younger South Koreans have embraced Japanese culture, older South Koreans have not been so eager to do so.

Kidnapping of Japanese Citizens

In 2002, North Korea admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens during the 1970s and 1980s, to train spies to infiltrate U.S. military installations in Japan. Five have been released, but eight were claimed to have died since. Japan has pressed for the return of the bodies. Many more Japanese citizens are believed to have been kidnapped and held captive in North Korea. In fact, Kim Jong Il's chef is allegedly a kidnapped Japanese.

Zainichi Koreans

Zainichi (在日, Resident Japan) refers to Korean nationals residing in Japan. Most of them are second-, third-, or fourth-generation Koreans who are not Japanese citizens, forced to relocate to or immigrated to Japan during Japan's occupation of Korea, while others later entered Japan in order to escape the Korean War. Japan revoked their Japanese citizenship after the signing of San Francisco Peace treaty which officially ended the Japanese annexation of Korea, and their country of origin, Korea, no longer existed when South Korea and North Korea became separate states. Zainichi communities are split based upon affiliation with North or South Korea (Chongryon and Mindan). Many Koreans living in Japan use Japanese names to hide their origin, in order to avoid discriminatory treatment.

Korea instead of Corea

Because of the appearance of both "Korea" and "Corea" in 19th century Western maps and documents, some Koreans claim that Japan intentionally promoted the spelling of Korea instead of Corea during the colonial era, because K comes after J in the Latin alphabet. A Japanese colonial official objected to "Corea" as a sign of Korean independence, but no evidence can be found of an official Japanese policy. According to documentation of the period, the Japanese government even "continued to spell Korea's name with a C (as Chōsen or Corea) when they controlled Korea." In the referenced material, it is also pointed out that Koreans participated in international sports under the Japanese flag during Japan's colonial period, so the order of the Latin alphabet was not a reasonable explanation for the standardization on "K" instead of "C." But prior to the 19th century the "C" spelling of Corea was more dominant and commonly used. Even today, in many other European languages, Korea is spelled as Corea. Furthermore, at the time in question, Japan desired to be called Nippon in English ("N" coming after both "C" and "K").

References

1. Association for Asian Research. The Japanese Roots (Part III)
2. YaleGlobal Online. Asia Battles over War History
3. The Washington Times. S.Korea discloses sensitive documents
4. ^ The Chosun Ilbo. Compensation for Colonial Victims Is Not Just a Legal Problem
5. The Chosun Ilbo. 「韓国政府、韓日会談で個別請求権放棄」
6. The Chosun Ilbo. Seoul Demanded $364 Million for Japan's Victims
7. VAWW-NET Japan. The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal
8. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration
9. Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet. Statement by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
10. YaleDailyNews.com. Expert speaks on 1980s Japanese kidnappings
11. Boston.com. Breaking the occupation spell
12. Kushibo's blog. Korea versus Corea

See also

• Japanese-Korean relations
• Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea
• Japan-Republic of Korea Joint Declaration of 1998
• List of war apology statements issued by Japan
• Korean arguments on Yamato period

• Japanese-Korean relations