"CEEAC Commmentary" intro
oduces new
ws analyses andopiinions in Ja
apan on topicstrelatted to regional
coooperation andaintegration in East A
Asia, but theey donott represent the views of CEACC
as an institution.

June 28, 2012

Dip
plomattic Bluebook and So
outh Korea’sK
Protesst
By SAKUR
RADA JunnAccordding to an AprilA
6 (Friiday) articlee posted on Yomiuri O
Online, in protest
MK
Koichiro Gemba’s intro
oduction off the fiscal 2012
againnst Japanese Foreign Minister
Diploomatic Bluuebook’s deescription oof the dispputed Takeshima islannds (“knowwn as
Dokddo in Southh Korea”) asa Japanese territory inn a cabinet meeting onn the day, SouthS
Koreea's Ministrry of Foreeign Affairrs and Trade announced on thee same daay its
spokkesman’s staatement declaring, “Wee deeply dep
plore Japan’’s unjustifieed claim. We
W willnever approve any attemp
pt against our territorrial sovereiignty.” Thee statementt also
pointted out thatt if Japan cllaimed its soovereignty over the Do
okdo islandds on the baasis ofmistaaken historiical views, “future-orie“ented South Korea-Japaan relationss” would jusst end
up aas an emptyy slogan, stronglyscriiticizing thaat Japan would not bbe able to fulfill
frespoonsible rolees in the inteernational ccommunity. The article also adds ththat the blueebook
declaares that thee islands aree undoubteddly within teerritory thatt is an inherrent part of JapanJ
both in referencce to historiccal facts annd in agreem
ment with innternational law and that theJapannese governnment will continue itts tough negotiations forf a peacefful resolution ofthe ddispute.
These responses
rfrrom South K
Korea are quiteqthe samme as ever bbefore. Howwever,S
Korea may resppond, Japann’s stance ono its territoorial sovereeignty
whattever way Southover the islands, the name ofo the Sea oof Japan andd the relatedd historical views will neverchannge and alsoo must not change. CConsidering these circu
umstances, the disputee will
persiist for a loong time ass a chronic affliction between th
he two coun
untries. Justt as a“deliicate and frragile” persson can som
metimes ressult in longg life by strriving to sttay in
goodd health, coonsistent keeen recogniition of thee affliction will work well to prrevent
inertiial and cozyy relationshhips betweenn Japan andd South Korrea from beiing formed. This
is noot a negativee thing at alll in itself.
South Korea
K
used
d to be justt a minor country to Japan bothh politicallyy andeconnomically inn the past. In that situuation, Japan looked down at Souuth Korea “from“abovve” and therefore treated the countr
try as if it werew soothing a “crying baby.” Thaat wasthe way Japan reacted to South Korea when the two countries faced frictions involving
different historical views and territorial disputes. Probably, this is why Japan’s“reflection” does not look as such from the South Korean perspective. However, this is
no longer the time for continuing such relationships. Now that South Korea has growninto a country with a level of power that it deserves, it is time for Japan to push for its
own national interests without any hesitation from now onward. It is just like boxingwith a grown-up contender for real, ending the approach of going easy on a child. Theauthor has no concrete grounds to judge if South Korea will be able to stand that “realboxing fight.” Japan has continued to play the game of international politics, including
its relationship with South Korea, for more than half a decade with one hand tied up interms of constitutional restraints, diplomatic personnel and budgets. If Japan is set freefrom these shackles, it will be pretty “interesting.” South Korea has never experienced
diplomacy with Japan as an “ordinary country.”
The Yoshihiko Noda Cabinet has made “no serious mistake” at the diplomatic
front so far. The diplomatic mistake during the Yukio Hatoyama administration was soserious that the Noda Cabinet’s “ordinary diplomacy” may just seem more refreshing.
The relaxation of the Three Principles on Arms Exports was a very good job. If theLiberal Democratic Party comes back in power, it will remove the aforementioned“shackles” one after another. The author has proposed that some people related to theLDP make prompt preparations for that.
(This is the English translation of an article written by Prof. SAKURADA Jun,Professor, Toyo Gakuen University, which originally appeared on the BBS"Hyakka-Somei" of CEAC on June 1, 2012.)