By Tom Le
In disputes over history and territory, the PR fight is intense … and damaging.
Recently, media outlets have paid a great deal of attention to territorial disputes between Japan and its neighbors, China and South Korea, fueling considerable animosity in East Asia.
Simultaneously, another heated battle is being waged, one over historical authority and the hearts and minds of the international community. Specifically, these nations have engaged in emotion-laden public relations campaigns over possession of the islands, the naming of the Sea of Japan/East Sea, and the comfort women issue. The intensified effort to fight the public relations battle is due to the closing window of opportunity for aging victims of World War II to voice their story. Additionally, the alleged rise of Japanese nationalism, epitomized by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent decision to reexamine the Kono Statement, in which the Japanese government admitted its role in coercing women and antagonistic remarks trivializing the issue by conservatives have further invigorated the opposition.
Subsequently, China and South Korea have engaged in a highly organized and sophisticated public shaming campaign with the hopes of garnering international sympathy for their causes. This campaign has included high-production state-sponsored videos staking claim to the disputed territories. Japan has only recently recognized that it is losing the PR battle and has begun to fight back. For example, minister in charge of Ocean Policy and Territorial Issues, Ichita Yamamoto, plans to launch a website (in English) articulating Japan’s position because as he claims, “as China and South Korea have actively transmitted information, we must also enhance our transmission to the world.”
Although each state has the right to seek public support for its cause, in their present actions they are threatening long-term reconciliation prospects for the region. The public shaming strategy forgoes tempered discussion in favor of total victory, which risks alienating the other side and third parties.
Read the full story at The Diplomat