Koreans have no history of bad memory from any imperial misadventures in the region .........a right hand for the Japanese.
Original Posted by Kalu-miah
I believe you have to go back to school again on Korean history and have an understanding on the relationship between Korea and Japan. While the Korea's hatred for China is superficial but for Japan is very very deep.
Japan was forced open from its isolation by Admiral Perry:
Perry Expedition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Since Japan was one of the few countries in Eurasia that escaped Mongol invasion (Western Europe was the other), it was one of these lucky few societies that was able to preserve its historical continuity unmolested from external forces and rule. So as soon as it opened up to the West, it was able to quickly adapt in the Meiji Restoration period and become an industrial powerhouse similar to contemporary European powers. Soon it went on to create its own empire following the example of Great Britain in East and South East Asia:
Meiji period - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Empire of Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As a string of islands near Northeast coast of Asian land mass, Japan has a unique history. It has its aboriginal people such as Ainu and large number of early migrants from Northeast Asians who gave rise to Yayoi, Kofun, Asuka cultures that brought farming techniques, horse-riding, pottery, buddhism among other things. The Yamato people who are the main ethnic group in Japan is a fusion of these early migrants and local indigenous people. For the last two thousand years it had trade, immigration and cultural relations with Northeast Asia, but it was never successfully subjugated by any invasion from the Mainland of North east Asia. As a result, this population group had the oppurtunity to develop a social system of its own that was not subject to any hostile force from the outside. Japan also understood the value of this isolation and guarded its isolation with great success. So when Admiral Perry of US Navy opened up Japan to trade in 1870's for the rest of the world, Japanese society and its ruling class were ready to take on the challenge of integrating with the world. In Meiji restoration period, Japan emerged in a few decades as an industrial power and after WW I, as an Asian hegemon, with colonial holdings in Korea, Machukuo and China. By WW II, it was a world power taking over East and South East Asian countries with the professed goal of eliminating European domination of Asia and liberating Asian people. Unfortunately it miscalculated the power of the US, went to open war with the US and paid a heavy price as a result. However, after WW II, it did not lie down for long, it came back up quickly and still is one of most advanced economies of the world.
Joseon dynasty of Korea on the other hand could not follow this Japanese style dynamism in their leadership, and open up since 1860's. It remained a traditional feudal society and weak as a result, so it easily fell under an aggressive and powerful Imperial Japan.
What happened during the 35 years of Japanese rule of Korea (1910-1945) is regrettable. But if we look at the bigger and longer time scale picture, what the US/West or white man collectively did for Korea is not much better:
* they introduced Christianity which is about 30% of the population today
* they introduced communism (Marx)
* the Russians and the US/Allies broke the country into two parts
So, although a lot of people understand the pragmatic reality of having the US bases there as a counter-balance for the Chinese threat, showing up in the form of Kim dynasty, north of the 38th parallel, there are a lot who do not have a great love for the great white man, in fact, considering the stupidity the white man has shown in handing the Chinese their rise in a platter, at least the Koreans consider the White man as an inferior and stupid race of people. I can imagine that the feeling is well shared by the Japanese as well.
Now, to understand the dynamics between Korea, China and Japan, the three entities in East Asia, one has to travel back a bit in history.
Way back, the Korean peninsula was supposedly peopled by migrants from Shandong, by Dong Yi or Eastern Barbarians. Then there were migrants like Evenki's, Mongols etc. from the North East Siberian area, some of whom became Khitan, Jin, Jurchen and Manchu's later. The ruling class I would imagine had significant influence from the northern migrant groups, who were present in large percentage in Goguryeo and Baekje:
Three Kingdoms of Korea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baekje was also called Nam Buyeo or South Buyeo, because the royal family migrated from Buyeo area:
Buyeo kingdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The alliance of Shilla and Tang that helped the defeat of Goguryeo and later Baekje, left a scar on the Korean people's collective consciousness. From this point on, till today Korean's have played nice with neighboring empires for its survival as an independent entity, as a pseudo vassal state, but the anguish of being subservient to a bigger nation never went away. Interestingly, part of Baekje royal family, when it got destroyed by Shilla-Tang joint invasion, migrated to Japan, and according to some, these migrants founded the Imperial dynasty of Japan. Some also believe that Japanese Daimyo aristocratic class and Samurai class are related to these earlier migrants from Baekje as well as other parts of East Asian mainland at different times. More details of Chinese-Korean relations:
People's Republic of China
Now lets look at interaction of Japan and Korea. Japan invaded Korea twice:
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592
These brutal invasions left a negative impression and of course the 35 year rule 1910-1945 is mainly responsible for the current bad blood. We can add to these the issue of Dokdo-Takeshima, apology for WW II comfort women etc. A detailed look at Japan-Korea relations:
Japan
Ok, so this is some background info. Now the Korean I know personally, is convinced to work with the Japanese, solve existing irritants, because the threat from China is much bigger, considering North Korea would not even exist without China's help. Also, even if the Japanese were a vicious blood-thirsty people in the days of Imperial Japan or earlier (who weren't), they have changed quite a bit lately and they are not considered as unacceptable as the Chinese. And lastly Japanese with its smaller size is not a long term threat, like a rising China is, with billion plus population, since the modus operandi of China is to absorb smaller vulnerable ethnic groups into its own, borg style. Once shown my idea about ASEAN+3, the Korean as well as some Vietnamese and Burmese I know, are more than convinced that it is the best way to go forward for all these countries. Because many no longer trust the short-sighted white man, much influenced by a fanatic minority with its own short-sighted money oriented obsession, to be able to protect Korea, Japan or ASEAN in the future, from big bad China, in the longer term.
And one final note, like many places in the world, the most dangerous is one's internal traitor, that can do the most damage and one should guard against the most. For Koreans, according to some, this was Shilla, who by allying with Tang, changed the geopolitics of East Asia forever, around 1350 years ago:
Baekje - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
