Japnese-Korean relations

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

I read an article at the UCLA Asia Institute site this afternoon

http://www.international.ucla.edu/asia/

that discussed the ongoing tension between Japan and Korea. The title of the article was "Flashpoint in Japanese-Korean Relations" and quotes from a recent colloquium speaker, Alexis Dudden of Connnecticut College.

The historical conflicts between these two neighbors (especially the occupation of Korea during WWII and accompanying atrocities) continue to cause problems, and ongoing issues such as rights to two uninhabited islets and the fish and other resources in the surrounding sea bed are made more contentious by this painful history.

Ms. Dudden explained how Japan has tried to damage South Korea's international image by publicizing negative North Korean actions and treating the 2 Koreas as a "single rogue entity". The article ends by stating that the speaker hinted that the strength of Japanese-American relations might wind up trumping our commitments to Korea if it came to that point. It rings true to me, although I certainly wish that we could act as a country from a more objective viewpoint of ethics rather than economic/strategic self interest.

I noticed a mention in the LA TImes today about the dispute over the rocky islets called Takeshima in Japan and DOkdo in South Korea. The newspaper was reporting a South Korean maritime survey and the Japanese demand they halt the operation. It was only one of those small "In Brief" sections, and if I hadn't seen the article at the UCLA site, I doubt I would have realized how much difficulty there is in successfully negotiating this dispute and how painful it is for those involved.

[Anonymous]

Buried on page nine in today's Los Angeles Times, there is a report that North Korea may end its nuclear program within weeks. Although it is believed that North Korea is believed to possess enough plutonium to make between 6-10 atomic weapons, it seems there has been a break through between the US and North Korea. The talks between the two countries were "very useful and positive" according to Christopher Hill, the chief US negotiator. North Korea has reportedly agreed to stop further production of plutonium and ultimately dismantle their nuclear weapons program "in exchange for fuel oil, humanitarian aid, and ultimately, normalized relations with the West." It sounds like the threat of North Korea causing trouble in Asia might be averted due to ongoing negotiations. I'm sure Japan is breathing a sigh of relief!

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