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GomNana t1_iw94xnv wrote

I know this seems like uplifting news, but anyone familiar with S.Korean politics will know this is just a political game that gets played between the right and left.

This is very simplified but:

When the left have the presidency they seek better communication with N.Korea and use Japan as a boogeyman.

When the right have the presidency (which they do now as of this year), they seek better ties with Japan and use N.K as a boogeyman.

It also coincides with N.K acting up with missiles and threats. They were relatively quiet when Moon was in power. But they were Rocket Man city when Park Geun Hye was in power, and they are becoming like that again under Yoon.

There were long lasting NO Japan boycotts under Moon.

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yogopig t1_iw9fwb2 wrote

Why is there even any beef between JP and SK? From an ignorant outsiders perspective they seem to be extremely similar and you'd thing they'd have similar goals when it comes to international relations?

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jampbells t1_iw9g9hn wrote

World War 2 atrocites. In some ways Imperial Japan made the Nazis look calm by comparison.

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thethunder92 t1_iw9vmxn wrote

Actually it started even before world war 2, Japan basically enslaved Koreans and used their women as sex slaves for a couple decades

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castiglione_99 t1_iw9zjhd wrote

Not just WWII atrocities. prior to the end of WWII, Japan had colonized Korea, a period in which the Korean language was suppressed, etc. and the Japanese tried to turn the Koreans into Japanese people. Pretty much the same story as elsewhere in the world, but with the Europeans and local brown people swapped out for Asians from here, and Asians from over there.

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GomNana t1_iw9jics wrote

It's a very complicated issue, but Korea was occupied by Japan for 35 years. It wasn't only during the war. The occupation only ended when Japan was defeated at the end of WW2.

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Tokishi7 t1_iwakmdg wrote

Goes further back than that even. Many Koreans still find issues with the first invasion back hundreds of years ago.

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QuixoticDino t1_iw9k1a1 wrote

In addition to the war crimes others mentioned, Korea was also under imperial Japanese rule for a number of years, during which they were generally oppressed and attempts were made to attack Korean culture (e.g. the Korean language was banned, Korean cultural artifacts were taken from the country, Koreans were forced to take Japanese names, etc).

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StewofPuppies t1_iwapa2h wrote

SK were like the Jews and Japan were like the Nazis but in Asia. This is oversimplification of it and it was a different kind of genocide.

Japan never really apologized or rather when they (politicians or leader figures) tried, it was often taken back or trivialized by other Japanese politicians or anonymous civilians making death threats to politicians who made attempts to apologize. There is still a strong alt right wing Za Warudo cult following in Japan that believes they did Korea and China a favor raping the women by the thousands and mutilating them because they brought industrialization.

While Japanese civilians are great and completely different from back then, politicians and the upper-echelon types are different. Remember when Ukraine compared Hirohito to Hitler and Mussolini? The comparison is pretty accurate and apt, speaking as a Korean myself who has Japanese relatives not by the war but by relatives marrying. Japan got angry at the comparison and demanded they apologize. The attitude of how Japan treats their atrocities of the past vs how Germany is very different. Let's be real; if Ukraine never apologized for that comparison of Hirohito = Hitler/Mussolini, Japanese government probably would have rescinded a lot of what they would later donate soon after the apology as aid in the war.

I think SK and Japan definitely can be allies and get to a better place. But the issue is everyone just wants to ignore these big elephants in the room and pretend the problems will solve itself. A lot of people will for example try to paint some of the resentment I feel as propaganda from China or CCP shilling which I have been called before. But until we address the elephants in the room and reconcile with these facts, we aren't going to get anywhere productive.

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chlamydia1 t1_iwe3yf4 wrote

>This is oversimplification of it and it was a different kind of genocide.

I wouldn't even call it different. Japan systematically murdered between 3 and 14 million civilians from across East Asia, on the basis of their "racial inferiority".

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Biosterous t1_iwaincf wrote

There's a podcast called 'Blowback' that's hosted by 2 investigative journalists who do deep dive histories into US conflicts and how said conflicts turned out so poorly for the USA. Their most recent 3 season was on the Korean war. While it's very history dense and not for everyone, if you listen to just the first episode of season 3 you'll get a great understanding of why Koreans harbour a lot of resentment towards Japan. If you like it and keep listening, you'll learn even more.

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MroStudios t1_iw9n1vy wrote

I wouldn't consider this as uplifting. I would consider this a sign of increasing tension in the area.

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[deleted] t1_iw8rjzr wrote

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habsrule83 t1_iw8wsok wrote

Probably because they've(S.Korea and Japan) been enemies themselves for a long time. Japan has a history of doing some really shitty stuff.

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Mormonator8 t1_iw8zq21 wrote

Yep, and South Korea still hasn’t forgiven them for those atrocities

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Bacon_n_Eggies t1_iw92rt9 wrote

Mostly because of Japan's non apologies

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habsrule83 t1_iw951cc wrote

I guess you can forgive someone who has done that without an apology but seems like it should be a point towards Sainthood.

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Bacon_n_Eggies t1_iw978qk wrote

Yes and no. When previous Japanese prime ministers (not sure where the current one stands) have actively denied it happening, and have gone to the graves of generals who participated in what happened, you can understand why they don't want to publicly forgive Japan.

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habsrule83 t1_iw9dj81 wrote

Oh for sure I understand. They could apologize 1000 times and I still wouldn't forgive them. But that's just me.

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[deleted] t1_iw97cxs wrote

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markyminkk t1_iw9jykq wrote

Holy ignorance batman

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[deleted] t1_iw9l8wq wrote

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markyminkk t1_iw9p283 wrote

The history between South Korea (or just Korea as a whole) and Japan goes way back before the US was ever involved, most of it not being great to say the least. Not only is what you said incorrect but also demeaning.

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SuperUai t1_iw9quwa wrote

Oh, I know about the Japanese Fascism, I know some of the atrocities they made there and stopped studying because it was making feel sick. I also know about the Korean War that the US colonized the South and never left.

I still ask: does the South Korea still hold grudge against Japan? They seem more angry about their brothers in the north than the nation that enslaved them.

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markyminkk t1_iwam1fn wrote

> I also know about the Korean War that the US colonized the South and never left.

What are you even talking about

> Does the South Korea still hold grudge against Japan?

Yes

> They seem more angry about their brothers in the north than the nation that enslaved them.

"More angry" isn't the right way to describe it. North Korea poses an active military threat against South Korea so this agreement with Japan is more of a strategic decision. South Korea's conflict with Japan is of a different nature, dealing with contrition and some territorial claims. Trying to compare SK's relationship between the two is apples to oranges.

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SuperUai t1_iwap67y wrote

South Korea behaves like an US colony, even letting them have a military bases on their soil.

North Korea hold no grudge against South Korea, their grudge is against the government that bombed the country and devastated all cities they could find. Their grudge is against a genocidal country that is installed in South Korea.

And again, the alliance with Japan is just a colony obeying its daddy.

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markyminkk t1_iwapnlv wrote

Okay, now I know for sure you're a troll. Got me there bud

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SuperUai t1_iwbnbu4 wrote

“Oh, no! This guy makes me question the status quo! Oh, yes, he must be a troll, that is it!”

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