Japan Institute for National Fundamentals

Japan’s relations with South Korea have persistently been deteriorating. I have been checking the situation in Seoul since July 13. South Korean conservative leaders agree that the Moon Jae In government’s anti-Japan policy is integrated with its anti-U.S. and pro-North Korea policies while his close aides, who are steadfast revolutionaries supporting the Juche (self-reliance) philosophy of North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung, are proceeding with anti-Japan policy under a strategic goal of weakening the Japan-U.S.-South Korea alliance.

Is Japan a friend or foe?

Among South Korean conservative leaders, Cho Gap Che says: “The Moon Jae In government is attempting to take advantage of its anti-Japan policy for accomplishing three objectives – (1) concealing its pro-North Korea policy, (2) weakening the South Korea-U.S.-Japan triangle alliance and (3) criticizing South Korea’s mainstream groups as pro-Japanese. Unconditional anti-Japan policy represents treason and conditional pro-Japan policy indicates patriotism. South Korean citizen must take this opportunity to determine whether Japan is a friend or foe from the viewpoints of truth, international law and national interests.”

Leading national security and military affairs journalist Lee Jong Hun says: “The South Korean government is forging ahead with North-South relations in defiance of Japan. Conservatives criticizing such government policy have fallen apart. In the circumstances, Japan has attacked South Korea (with an export restriction). The Moon Jae In government is using the Japanese attack for restraining not only Japan but also anti-North Korea forces in South Korea.”

Some conservative leaders I met this time said that Japan should see the Moon government separately from South Korean citizens because numerous South Korean citizens sharing values with Japan are opposing the Moon government.

Place hopes on sensible South Korean citizens

I told them: “Sensible Japanese conservatives hope to enhance their solidarity with South Korean conservatives from the viewpoint of a value-based diplomacy. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his interview with Cho Gap Che in March 2013 said Japan would support the democratic and free unification of the Korean Peninsula. The Japan Institute for National Fundamentals in September 2009 published a policy recommendation calling for promoting free unification of the Korean Peninsula by South Korea to prevent China’s control of the peninsula. However, South Korean conservatives’ critical comments against Moon’s anti-Japan policy have failed to reach Japan. While conservatives are making assertions on such media as YouTube, leading newspapers like The Chosun Ilbo and the largest opposition party in South Korea are continuing to criticize Japan. If things keep going the way they are, even ordinary South Korean citizens may be instigated by Moon to denounce Japan emotionally and the Japanese may grow hostile to the whole of South Korea including conservatives without separating the government from the citizens.”

While providing Japan with voices of South Korean conservatives that Japanese newspapers do not cover, I would like to watch whether a majority of South Korean citizens would be deceived by the Moon government’s anti-Japan policy into supporting anti-U.S. and pro-North Korea policies or restore their sensibility and criticize Moon’s anti-Japan policy.

　
Tsutomu Nishioka is a senior fellow and a Planning Committee member at the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals and visiting professor at Reitaku University. He covers South and North Koreas.