"Japan and South Korea Want to Look to the Future But They Can't Agree on the Past,"The National Interest, 11 June 2017.
Although Japan and South Korea share common perceptions of threats (from North Korea, for example), they diverge in terms of how they want to deal with these threats and their willingness to work with one another. This divergence is rooted in each countries' conceptions of their own and each other's national narratives, particularly with respect to historical issues, which are a major sticking point between Japan and South Korea. Many South Koreans want to renegotiate the settlement deal negotiated by Prime Minister Abe and former President Kim that was supposed to resolve the "comfort women" issue once and for all. They perceive the agreement to be illegitimate and to insufficiently address the wrongs that were committed against Korean women during World War II, while many Japanese people feel that the issue has been dealt with and are frustrated with South Korean actions. (For a more comprehensive comparison of Japanese and Korean attitudes, see "70% think relationship with South Korea won’t change," The Japan News, 13 June 2017.)
"SDF still seeking U.N. opportunities 25 years after peacekeeping law’s passage," The Japan Times, 17 June 2017.
Japan's identity as a "peace-loving" country is a key part of its post-World War II national narrative, but since the end of the Cold War, this narrative has been challenged by repeated demands from the international community that Japan do more to contribute to global security. Japan has struggled to reconcile its commitment to peace with its international responsibility since being criticized of "checkbook diplomacy" during the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s, and this struggle continues today.
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