News Just 17% in South Korea, 20% in Japan like each other

thomas · 25 May 2021

Bad: only a fifth or less than a fifth of South Koreans and Japanese like each other
Good: 78% of South Koreans and 64.7% of Japanese hope their governments make efforts to build a cooperative relationship

Only 16.7 percent of South Koreans feel friendly toward Japanese and 20.2 percent of Japanese do so toward South Koreans, a survey showed Tuesday, underscoring the soured relations of the two neighboring countries. Of 1,431 respondents from South Korea and Japan, over 40 percent said they do not feel friendly toward the other country, according to the survey conducted by the Korea Economic Research Institute, a think tank based in Seoul. It showed 22.2 percent of South Korean respondents said they were concerned that trade between the two countries has declined due to the prolonged deterioration of bilateral ties, compared with 16.2 percent of Japanese respondents. Over 60 percent in both countries said the bilateral ties have not changed since Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took office in September last year. The respondents who said they hoped the governments of South Korea and Japan make efforts to build a cooperative relationship were 78 percent in South Korea and 64.7 percent in Japan, according to the survey. Tokyo-Seoul relations have sunk to their lowest point in decades following South Korean Supreme Court rulings in 2018 that ordered Japanese companies to compensate plaintiffs who were laborers during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

Only some 17% in South Korea, 20% in Japan like each other: survey

Only 16.7 percent of South Koreans feel friendly toward Japanese and 20.2 percent of Japanese do so toward South Koreans, a survey showed Tuesday, underscoring the soured relations of the two neighboring countries.

english.kyodonews.net

nice gaijin · 26 May 2021

xenophobia is a hell of a drug, and racism just makes everyone dumber and more reactionary. I think perhaps the most successful outreach has been in the form of pop culture, music and tv shows, at least on Korea's part. Japanese anime is also well known throughout the world, but people still seem to compartmentalize, and manage to enjoy the cultural exports of a country while still holding prejudice against their people... I've encountered some disappointing attitudes among people throughout Asia; my middle school students in Korea had extremely offensive knee-jerk reactions when I said that I had lived in Japan, and I've heard some pretty outrageous statements in Japan as well. Whenever tensions rise between countries, you'll find nationalist/racist violence and vandalism like when Japanese storefronts and cars were attacked in China over some international dispute. It's really disappointing to see people so closed off to diversity and inclusion. Then they come to America and the dumb racists here think they're all Chinese

It's really interesting to me how similar-yet-unique these neighbors are to one another, but it's so strange to see people draw these hard lines between themselves as if to say "we define ourselves not by who we are, but by who we are not."

thomas · 26 May 2021

Europe is often quoted as one example where nations were able to overcome centuries of animosity and conflict. And while there is still political bickering and resorting to silly cliches, Europe has grown together (despite marginal setbacks like the Brexit - they'll be back, lol). We understand that the boat we are all in was built on millennia of war, conflict, struggle and the ultimate realisation that together, we can progress and all win (well, theoretically).

Regardless of all the historical ballast, China, Korea, and Japan are fierce economic and political competitors. Sadly, despite all their similarities and shared values - as @nice gaijin pointed out - they are a far cry from even considering themselves on the same page. Keeping face, inflated national pride and a false sense of racial superiority all play a role in their complicated relations. Change will not come from politicians but from future generations who will realise that their neighbours aren't so different, and wicked, after all.

Grandpa Frank · 26 May 2021

In the early 70's in Fukuoka , there were real slum looking areas and my Japanese friends told me that's where the low class Koreans live. It wasn't talked about too often , but there was prejudice there for sure. I was also told to stay away from girls that had large breasts because they had Korean blood , which I still laugh at today.

Lothor · 26 May 2021

thomas said:
Europe is often quoted as one example where nations were able to overcome centuries of animosity and conflict. And while there is still political bickering and resorting to silly cliches, Europe has grown together (despite marginal setbacks like the Brexit - they'll be back, lol). We understand that the boat we are all in was built on millennia of war, conflict, struggle and the ultimate realisation that together, we can progress and all win (well, theoretically).

Regardless of all the historical ballast, China, Korea, and Japan are fierce economic and political competitors. Sadly, despite all their similarities and shared values - as @nice gaijin pointed out - they are a far cry from even considering themselves on the same page. Keeping face, inflated national pride and a false sense of racial superiority all play a role in their complicated relations. Change will not come from politicians but from future generations who will realise that their neighbours aren't so different, and wicked, after all.

All the bickering really annoys me because I've seen how much better people can be in moving forward from a bloody past. I lived in Namibia from 1997 to 1999, a country that was in a civil war for decades (blacks fighting for independence against an apartheid South Africa). When the country became independent in 1990, the new president Sam Nujoma said that they must forgive but never forget. And that's exactly what happened; people just got on with their lives. Even though I heard some harrowing tales of what whites did to blacks during the civil war, I never heard resentment. The nursing of grievances and the whitewashing of history so prevalent in East Asia could very easily have occurred but for some reason it didn't.

日本語 Class · 27 Jun 2021

Yes as much as Asia has great culture and potential, its concerning how they all tend to have relevant force, yet hating each other THIS MUCH. With China and India rising so much for example, I just hope they dont freak out with each other, as they have tensions between them. And with South Korea slowly growing too, and Japan obviously already a potency, I really hope it doesnt escalate at some point in the upcoming decades.

As mentioned, CULTURE AND MEDIA seem to be a good way to at least decrease the hate！！ (Despite the ones who use it all as 'patriotic weapon' and competition, I know)
How many younger Japanese ppl listen to KPop！ Just look at the charts, as well as some Koreans like anime, and Japanese virals/meme etc

As said the younger people in the following generations tend to be the crucial point for the difference, and culture seems to be a very effective way

News Just 17% in South Korea, 20% in Japan like each other

thomas

Unswerving cyclist

Only some 17% in South Korea, 20% in Japan like each other: survey

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

thomas

Unswerving cyclist

Grandpa Frank

Sempai

Lothor

Freelance proofreader

日本語 Class

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