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Poll: Anti-Japanese sentiment rises in South Korea

Dokdo fever does its magic:

The number of South Korean people rating Japan as “the most- disliked country” has increased to 57 percent from last year’s 38 percent, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said Monday, citing its survey results.

The results clearly showed anti-Japanese sentiment has intensified in South Korea since Japan decided in July to assert its claim to sovereignty over a pair of rocky islets that Seoul controls.

34 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - September 23, 2008 at 8:52 am

Categories: Anti-Japan Tags: anti-japanese, Korea

jc

This is stupid. Everyone in South Korea gets worked up because of a silly territorial dispute that started all because they invaded and illegally occupied the tiny islands.

This is stupid because the South Koreans are willing to bury all foreign relations with Japan into the ground, suspending student exchanges, export/import of commodities, even ordinary civil discussion, all because they don’t want to lose face after being so hyped up on something they have no sovereign rights.

http://www.victorymanual.com Alex

“Everyone in South Korea gets worked up because of a silly territorial dispute…”

Everyone?

Asia is not known for its ability to make amends and let bygones be bygones. To say that this is something unique of South Korea is absurd. It’s just another issue; one of many.

Actually, the West is moving back towards this sort of mindset. You’ve got a lot of people, especially in the States, who have this deep-seeded resentment for the Middle East because of a handful of dissidents who made a mark on the American psyche. That’s exactly what’s at play in East Asia to this very day.

My wife (Korean) once told me, “You know why many Koreans don’t like Japanese? Because the Japanese lost the war, but look at where they’re at now. Some people can’t help but be jealous.” I’d heard a similar comment before from a Catholic priest at an inter-faith conference that my grandfather attended (we’re Jewish). The priest said, “I can’t speak for other Christian or Islamic-based faiths, but a lot of Catholics dislike Jews because, despite centuries upon centuries of hardships, here they are, still on Earth, doing better than ever.”

Level3

So it’s bad for the OP to paint a nation or race with a broad brush, but it IS OK for you, especially if it’s the USA, harboring racism againat Americans is politcally correct, after all.

Please apply said brush to the large percentage of Middle Easterners who think 9/11 was a Jewish/Bush plot, and worse, the vast majority of “peaceful” Moslems who have apparently let their “religion of peace” be hijacked by a violent and sizable minority. A “handful if dissidents” get funding from far more than a handful of Moslems.

But it is VERY sad that the South Korean government is willing to give up so much for the sake of some rocks. It almost seems insane, and very akin to their North Korean brothers.

http://www.victorymanual.com Alex

“So it’s bad for the OP to paint a nation or race with a broad brush, but it IS OK for you, especially if it’s the USA, harboring racism againat Americans is politcally correct, after all.”

Straw man. The OP said “Everyone”. I didn’t say even “A majority”. I said “A lot of people”, and I said “are moving back towards” (not “are”, because we [I'm American] are not yet at the same level, although we’re on our way, and it’s not difficult to see happening in the future). Did I come off as overgeneralizing? I didn’t mean for it to sound that way.

>>>>> “Please apply said brush to the large percentage of Middle Easterners who think 9/11 was a Jewish/Bush plot…”

Replace “Middle Easterners” with “Americans”. Depends on where you poll.
( http://www.newspolls.org/question.php?question_id=716 )

>>>>> “…the vast majority of “peaceful” Moslems who have apparently let their “religion of peace” be hijacked by a violent and sizable minority.”

Replace “Muslims” with “Americans” and it still has a ringing truth to it, although it’s just as much of an overstatement as your words above.

>>>>> “But it is VERY sad that the South Korean government is willing to give up so much for the sake of some rocks.”

You could say the same on either side. Japan is making the claim for those very same “rocks”. I’m not justifying the claim of either country (I think it should be made into either international territory or a joint-territory to be shared between Korea and Japan – Which seems an impossible pipe dream on my part), just pointing out that it takes two to tango.

I think former Prime Minister Fukuda said it best – 私は[East Asian international policy]を客観的に見ることができるんです。あなたとは違うんです。 (Can’t say much for his administration, but what a line to go out with!)

Random Filipino

““Everyone in South Korea gets worked up because of a silly territorial dispute…”

Everyone?”

Well, The Philippines has moved on more or less. I can’t speak for every Filipino, but basing on what I observe, we don’t have anti Japanese sentiment here despite being overrun by the Japanese as well during WWII. In fact, most Filipinos actually like Japan. I think it’s probably the same for the other South East Asian countries.

The only countries who’s citizens seem to still harbor all that hate for Japan and the Japanese are the Chinese and the Koreans. If they can just learn to move on, East Asian relations will probably improve.

Random Filipino

Oops. I wasn’t able to include the pertinent part of Alex’s comment I was commenting on. Sorry. Here it is:

““Everyone in South Korea gets worked up because of a silly territorial dispute…”

Everyone?

Asia is not known for its ability to make amends and let bygones be bygones. To say that this is something unique of South Korea is absurd. It’s just another issue; one of many.”

It just isn’t nice to generalize that Asians are bitter, angry people when it comes to WWII related issues when most of us have moved on.
http://www.victorymanual.com Alex

“Bitter”? “Angry”? Those are your words, I wasn’t thinking that at all. But, you’re right – I should have said East Asia. I’m not familiar enough with the history and politics of other Asian countries to comment on their political world view.
concerned Filipino

I still don’t know about generalizing about East Asia, either.

Oh, and Level3, why do you always get so defensive when it’s about the US?

hadji

In all fairness, Koreans don’t seem to like anyone – including other Koreans.
helical

Bringing to attention a nationwide survey by a major newspaper agency about what a neighboring country thinks about you isn’t exactly trolling. I haven’t seen any accusations of him being a shill when he brings up articles about how other countries regard Japan in a positive manner.

And it’s only one’s own fault that they haven’t been paying attention.
HKHamster

A political ploy (nationalism card)to divert attention from one’s own problems. The masses like to let off some steam, and the authorities will be more lenient as they think its directed away from them.
Jack Elliot

Who gives a shit. I don’t think S. Korean public opinion has any affect on the economies of Japan, China, or S. Korea, and these countries certainly wouldn’t consider going to war with each other anytime soon, even if “war” meant sanctions. In fact, I would be really impressed with a Korean-lead initiative to turn the clock back seventy years by dumping Japanese investors and US military advisors. Hell, I would send them a cake if they did.

And btw, shame on this blog for reporting irrelevant racism. Lately, I often wonder what the motivation of this blog has become.

http://www.victorymanual.com Alex

“Racism”? How is this racism?

The poll showed “the most-disliked country”. Is it wrong to dislike a country and its politics?

What this report is doing is simply showing a small slice of the current political climate regarding Japan. It is relevant, but not in the worst-case-scenario of war, as you’ve pointed out. It does affect the economy. Japan needs all of the export sales it can get right now, and it doesn’t help when your next-door neighbor boycotts your goods.

“Lately, I often wonder what the motivation of this blog has become.”

Probing issues regarding Japan. JapanProbe.

Mister M

Nothing against Koreans. To be honest with you guys, I see Koreans after the Japanese the most civilized people around the world. However, I feel like most Koreans who said that hate Japan never in any moment have traveled to Japan and lived with Japanese people. There are a lot good things about Japan and they should travel to Japan to see those good things in Japan and the Japanese people and culture. At the same time that Japanese Army killed thousands of Korean and raped thousands of Korean women, the Japanese people also helped those Koreans to live a good life in Japan after the WW2, and it seems to me that nobody in Korea learn about the good things that Japan, Japanese and anything that is related to Japan did for Koreans and Korea.

Korea is following the same path of their Chinese neighbors that blame Japan for their disgrace and misery. However, they forget that these results came from their corrupt government, and not from Japan. Japan paid compensation to Korea in 1965, but those politicians decided to use this money to rebuild their economy and make improvements in their infrastructure instead of paying their people individually. After this date, Korea received several finacial donations and investments from Japanese Government, and she still deny the fact that Japan did such good thing and blame Japan for such stupid thing that happened more than 60 years ago. That is regreetable.
hadji

Can I see your full top ten list of civilized countries? #1 and #2 are hilarious. You realize #1 killed tens of millions….

Also, look into how Japan paid that compensation to Korea. Not very altruistic.

Niels

And I do hope you won’t add the US to that list then.
Seeing as the US also partakes in wholesale slaughter of people.

I most certainly will not add my country to the list.
My country has committed atrocities in the past too.

Dr.Yu

Reading the answers from the Japanese here one can imagine why Koreans dislike the Japanese. I long for the day Japan will stop blaming the Koreans for the crimes they committed in Korea.
The korean hate toward Japan is historical. Read some books before commenting about thing that you don’t know.
Regarding moving forward .. it applies to both countries, but long historical issues can not be settled just based on “let’s forget about it”.

SG

You assumption that everyone here critical of Korean public opinion is Japanese doesn’t do your argument any good.
Random Filipino

“Regarding moving forward .. it applies to both countries, but long historical issues can not be settled just based on “let’s forget about it”.”

No need to forget Dr Yu, just move on. South East Asia (or at least the Philippines) hasn’t forgotten WWII and its events. Every kid and every person knows that we’ve been invaded by the Japanese more than half a century ago. It’s part of school history curriculum, but despite that, it doesn’t make the students grow up into bitter people. “Long historical issues” are long historical issues precisely because people choose not to move on, and bear those grudges. Just let it go. It will probably feel better.

kinraz

If let’s say an alien will arrive this will look so un reasonable all of those disputs about an islnd as big as my neighberhood , why wouln’t we try to find new medicines and more advanced technologys to benefit us ,find ways to make everybody excel at his oocupation and by that we will be more happy and calmer.
Jay

“…blame Japan for such stupid thing that happened more than 60 years ago.”

Well… it’s not just some stupid thing that happened more than 60 years ago. People can’t just forget about such an important moment in history and all the suffering that was associated with it. (And 60 years isn’t that long time ago… it still is in a person’s lifetime.)

And these “rocks” are actually very important from the geopolitical view, because it can determine the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), which determines a country’s access to the surrounding natural resources.

Additionally, I wouldn’t say that all this “dislike” that’s going on is just one-sided. Both countries harbor some resentment for one another that needs a lot of effort (by both sides) and time to be resolved. Both the Japanese and the South Korean government need to show acceptance and forgiveness to each other and set an example for their citizens.

Japan and South Korea have a lot of potential if they can cooperate even more. To get to that stage, however, those “haters” on both sides needs to accept his/her country’s history and past actions, stop rejecting each other, learn from the past mistakes, and forgive. It won’t be easy, but it needs to be done.
Dr.Yu

“But it is VERY sad that the South Korean government is willing to give up so much for the sake of some rocks.”

By your argument you seem to mean that Japanese government is wiser than Korean government, well … if so than ask Japan to forget about this “rocks” and everything will be ok with Korea.

When I read comments from people like you I wonder if it is because it lack you some sense of reality or you are a frankly pro-japan guy.

Mister M

My friend what is your problem about Japan? You never have good coments about Japan. Even though Japan is good for your people, you are still complaining about Japan.

Get rid of this junk statement, and be humble to admit that Japan also is a nice country that has helped your country and Korea.
Mister M

and you are a anti-Japanese. get rid of this poor stuff.

Dr.Yu

“My friend”,
You got to be kidding.
Every time Korea is mentioned here, is always in a racists and impolite way, and just because I defend the Korean point of view, you are labeling me anti-Japanese.
You said that Japan did good to Korea so we should feel gratitude to Japan. Could you make a list of such good deeds? If you are going to come with the same old argument about modernization of Korea, well for Japan Korea was just a calf feed to be slaughtered, so please don’t use this argument again. Maybe we should be thankful to Japan because of Mimizuka.

Kenny

A resolution will never happen because both countries are extremely stubborn. And these “rocks” do have some significant value. Besides determining the EEZ they are also an important fishing location for fishermen.
LOD

Maybe I said this before, but I can’t help wondering… Why anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea worsens when Japanese makes claims over the islands? I mean, it’s not like Japanese suddenly decided to claim there from the last week. They actually do that for decades, without any outcomes. (Their claim is as meaningless as the Taiwanese claim on Chinese continent + Mongolia. They are just doing that as a ceremony.) I would understand if the anti-J sentiment was consistently strong because of that, but it seems Koreans often forget the Japanese claim, and then shocked (again) when Japanese do the routine business.
Jay

Well, I don’t think the Koreans forget about the dispute, and then suddenly get reminded about it… but maybe they felt that the Japaneses government claiming the “rocks” is a hostile gesture even if they knew that it was very unlikely that anything will result from it. Maybe it’s due to sensationalist media and internet rumors. Who knows. We have to remember that this is all over some numbers produced by a survey that we do not know how it was conducted. One thing for sure, a survey does not reflect every Korean’s sentiment towards Japan.
http://deleted parkmount

This has nothing to do with sentiments of Koreans. It does have strong influence from Korean history education similar to that of Chinese. The Korean animosity will be here to stay so long as the younger generations keep receiving the biased history education.

Dr.Yu

You said that korean kids receive biased history education, well .. I wonder what kind of education Japanese kids receive than.
They simply have no idea of what really happened during Japanese occupation of Korea but keep repeating the same false argument of how Japan was good to Korea, that Korea voluntarily accepted Japanese occupation, that the reason why Korea dislike Japan is based on jealousy, that Korean kids are brainwashed by conservative Korean government and so on, but you forget that history itself is so negative to Japan that no one would feel sympathy for Japan after knowing their actions against other Asian countries.
Don’t blame Korea just because you want to defend Japan.

LOD

You, sir, are the finest example of the brainwashed.
but you forget that history itself is so negative to Japan that no one would feel sympathy for Japan
Yeah, of course. Japan is the ultimate evil and everyone should hate her. No doubt about it. (shrug)
Oh, by the way, you said someone is a racist here?

chichi

You said that korean kids receive biased history education, well .. I wonder what kind of education Japanese kids receive than.

http://www.je-kaleidoscope.jp/index_ja.html
Mika

Japan’s textbook claiming that Takeshima is historically Japanese territory is not silly; it is a fact. If you want to see something ultra-nationalistic, look at drawings by Korean students. http://aog.2y.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1550

It wasn’t some right-wing political group who drew those pictures, but students from a middle school with the consent of their teachers, administration, and municipal government (hence their location in a subway). Did the principal or teachers of the school take any flak? Of course not. Kids should not be taught to hate, but they are indeed taught to hate from an early age. Adults are ultimately responsible for ultra-nationalistic behavior learned by children in Korea.
http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/37/58/8c316cfe86fd7b452fe9310e446b3df7.jpg

Should we consider Korea to be less accountable? I don’t think the sentence like “Poor Korea was oppressed by outsiders in the past” serves as an excuse to be free of fault to do anything.
http://Korean One of the Korean

Heyy are you kidding?? Dokdo is Korean. Actually Japanese still Korean culture like Udo.You know what? Japanese tried to still Kimchi, and Dokdo, to. Japanese were dieing. but when 6.25 war, they began to alive cuz UN was helping SouthKorean so they bought many wapons from Japan. so they began to really strong country.

Poll: Anti-Japanese sentiment rises in South Korea

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