By John Lee
Shinzo Abe’s successful U.S. visit means increased pressure on Park Geun-hye to repair relations with Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the United States last week was more than a meet-and-greet amongst allies. It was reaffirmation that Tokyo remains Washington’s most important ally in Asia, if the revision to the U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines to encompass a broader role for the Japanese Self Defense Forces to offer logistical support to the American military beyond East Asia is anything to go by. That it was also widely seen as a personal and national triumph for the Japanese leader means there will be significant hand-wringing in Seoul, given that its relationship with Tokyo has grown increasingly hostile and dysfunctional over unresolved wartime issues. While genuine historical closure between these two countries is some time away, Abe’s successful American visit also means there will be increased pressure on South Korean President Park Geun-hye to take a more conciliatory and constructive approach to Japan.
The reasons behind South Korea’s enmity toward Japan are complex and long-standing, and will not be resolved easily. One should remember that modern Korean nationalism was forged during an era of Japanese colonization of the Korean peninsula early in the previous century. In more recent times, South Koreans accuse the Japanese government and people of being insufficiently sorry for wartime actions such as forcing or else trapping Korean citizens into becoming “comfort women” for Japanese troops.
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