Tochak Waegu () or To-wae () is a South Korean political slang term used mainly by South Korean liberal and progressives against South Korean conservatives who are perceived to be pro-Japanese. Tochak Waegu have the same meaning as Maegukno () or Minjok Banyeokja ().

The reason why conservatives in South Korea are relatively "pro-Japanese" compared to liberals is because of hardline anti-communism, especially against North Korea caused by the Korean War. In addition, post-war Japan is an ally of the United States. Also, Japan has more of a right-wing orientation in its politics compared to South Korea.

Political position 
The term is commonly used to criticize South Korean conservatives' foreign policy toward Japan. It is also used as a derogatory expression of those who show a de-nationalist view of Japan that deviates from the existing Korean nationalist view, or even partially sympathize with Japanese historical revisionism. Therefore, Tochak Waagu is considered a self-hating Korean. In South Korea, liberals and progressives are more nationalistic about Japan than conservatives.

Some South Korean scholars argue that among South Koreans, Empire of Japan should be defended or Japanese historical revisionist supporters should be criminalised, which, according to them, has the same legitimacy as many European countries criminalise Neo-Nazism or Holocaust denial. However, such legislation has not been introduced in South Korea as to not hinder freedom of speech.

In South Korean politics, liberals or progressives and conservatives tend to criticize each other as "pro-Japan" and "Pro-Pyongyang" (or "Jongbuk"). South Korea has historically experienced Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War, so the "pro-Japan" is regarded as the "fascist" () or "far-right" and the "Pro-Pyongyang" as the "ppalgaengi" () or "far-left". Thus, South Korean politicians (mainly liberal politicians) equate "Tochak Waegu" with "far-right".

Government of Yoon Suk Yeol 
Yoon Suk Yeol has been the president of South Korea since 2022. Yoon Suk Yeol and Yoon governments are accused by many South Koreans of being "pro-Japanese colonialist". Even some of Yoon's supporters oppose his pro-Japanese diplomacy. Unlike existing South Korean politicians, Yoon Suk Yeol does not demand an apology and damage compensation from Japan on issues related to Japanese colonial rule and Japanese war crimes. Yoon has also consistently declined to comment on controversial issues, including 2018 Japan–South Korea radar lock-on dispute, issue related to Japanese opposition to the construction of Statue of Peace and Liancourt Rocks dispute.

According to statistics from April 2023, 90.3% of South Koreans are dissatisfied with Yoon Suk Yeol's diplomacy with Japan. (However, this is not against Yoon Suk Yeol's overall policy, but against Yoon Suk Yeol's policy toward Japan.)

Sin-chinilpa 
"Sin-chinilpa" () is used in a similar sense to "Tochak Waegu". The term "Sin-chinilpa" was first proposed by non-Korean Japanese-born naturalized South Korean and South Korean liberal historian Yuji Hosaka, and is frequently used by South Korean media and netizens.

Links with Japanese nationalists and conservatives 

Some far-right anti-communists/anti-North Koreanists conservatives, and some Japan-friendly Koreans in South Korea, are linked to Japanese nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and ultranationalist groups in Japan. There are even cases where South Korean anti-communists receive financial support from the Japanese right-wing to far-right. They are accused by South Korean liberals, progressives and anti-colonial Korean nationalists of being "sin-chinil", "sin-chinilpa" and "Tochak Waegu".

Unification Church (UC) advocates political anti-communism and is deeply connected to South Korean conservatives and Japanese conservatives. UC is criticized as a "sin-chinil" or "sin-chinilpa"  by South Korean liberals. Some South Korean media reported the connection between Yoon Suk-yeol's pro-Japanese foreign policy and UC.

Criticism 
The term Tochak Waegu itself is a slanderous term for South Korean conservatives, not Japanese people, but this term is sometimes used as a political hate speech to slander Japanese people living in South Korea. This is also related to the South Koreans' perception that Japanese people are perpetrators, not victims of racism. Some Koreans see the term "Waegu" as a racist rhetoric against Japanese people, but others argue that it is not racist.

A column in the JoongAng Ilbo, a moderate conservative media, criticized the expression Tochak Waegu as similar to [liberal version] McCarthyism. In an article written in the centre-left liberal media Hankyoreh, left-wing socialist Hong Se-hwa criticized it as "[liberal] government-led nationalism"  () that has nothing to do with left-wing nationalism and criticized right-wing Japanese nationalism and hostile symbiosis.

See also 
 Anti-imperialism
 Black Skin, White Masks
 Chinilpa – a pro-Japanese Korean political mafia term
 Democratic Party of Korea – anti-Tochak Waegu (liberal) political party
 Harki – These are 'indigenous Algerians' (or 'native Algerians'), but they cooperated with France during the Algerian War.
 Japanese fascism
 Jjokbari
 New Right (South Korea)
 No Japan Movement
 Park Yu-ha
 Progressive Party (South Korea, 2017) – anti-Tochak Waegu (NL) political party
 Self-hating Jew
 Uncle Tom

Notes

References 

Anti-imperialism in Korea
Anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea
Conservatism in South Korea
Far-right politics in South Korea
Japanophilia
Korean slang
Political pejoratives for people
Political terminology in South Korea
Postcolonialism
Sadaejuui
Treason