Korea and Japan

[This post was actually written on Tuesday, but I accidentally saved it as a draft rather than posting it. I was posting from a Chinese computer, so the user interface was in Chinese, and I don't yet know the Chinese character for "draft" :-).]

I had planned to write something about relations between Japan and it's Asian neighbours, but it seems I've been overtaken by events. The dramatically different responses in Japan, South Korea, and China have broken in the American media.

The IHT picks up this Times report which starts by contrasting the media responses. There's too much interesting stuff in this article go quote it all - good man-in-the-street views of the situation:

Soon after North Korea started launching missiles in the predawn hours last Wednesday, Japan's television networks interrupted their regular programming to broadcast the news and the government's quick response.

By contrast, with the South Korean government refraining from commenting, networks here continued their World Cup soccer coverage until Italy beat Germany around 6:40 a.m.

[...]

"South Korea and Japan are strategically interpreting information to further political goals," said Lee Geun, professor of international relations at Seoul National University and a visiting professor at Kyushu University in Japan. "South Korea is minimizing the threat to manage the hawkish reaction from the United States and Japan. Japan is exaggerating the threat in order to pursue the goals of strengthening its self-defense forces and the U.S.-Japan alliance."

[...]

Or consider the two young South Koreans sitting outside on a bench, Chun Kwon Mi, 27, and Kim Chung Nam, 30, who when asked about their reaction to the launchings a full four days later responded with blank stares.

"They fired?" asked Chun, who works in online shopping.

(Do read this article - excellent reporting.)

I suggested Sunday that South Korea and China were more concerned about Japan than North Korea. Right on cue (and I swear I don't know anybody in the Korean government), South Korea issued a news release this morning denouncing Japan's reaction to he missile tests:

In light of the painful historical records that Japan justified its invasion of Korea in the past as a measure to protect its citizens residing on the Korean Peninsula, we cannot but conclude that these grave and threatening statements are to endanger peace in Northeast Asia. They reveal the militant nature of Japan, which warrants our intense vigilance.

The U.S., while the originally the architect of Japan's pacifist constitution, has long wanted Japan to take a more active military role. Declassified memos from the Carter, Reagan, and Bush I administrations suggest on-going efforts to get Japan to increase its defense spending, not only for local defense, but also to enable it to take a larger role as a U.S. ally in conflicts such as the first Gulf War:

The Gulf War created specific tensions as the U.S. sought contributions from its allies towards supporting the military action against Iraq, contributions that it found difficult to secure from Japan. Prior to the invasion, Japan's continuing reliance upon Middle East oil made it hesitant as always to identify itself too closely with American actions that could incite Arab retaliation with the oil weapon. Beyond this, Japan's antimilitaristic political culture and constitutional limits on military action made it very hard for Japanese leaders to commit much beyond money to support of the coalition. A decision by the Kaifu Cabinet to send Japanese Self Defense Forces to join the coalition forces in the Gulf, although to be limited strictly to non-defense roles, was soon reversed in the face of strong protests within the LDP and from opposition parties.

Finding reliable information on the current administration's policies is harder, as the diplomacy involved is necessarily secret, but clues do emerge:

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which states that Japan can never maintain land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, restricts the country's present military role. Nevertheless, Lo said there is a desire on the US part for Japan to amend Article 9 in order to take a more active military role.

"When I was the representative to Japan, the Bush administration sent an official to Japan discussing the amendment of Article 9. The war ended 60 years ago and the US wanted Japan to become a normal country," Lo said.