By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Back in the old days, turf conflicts between countries were largely a battle for government bureaucrats to fight. But Koreans are demonstrating through the latest territorial row with Japan that, in the 21st century, individual citizens can take matters into their own hands, particularly online.
A quickly spreading boycott against anything Japanese is rapidly absorbing more supporters online, all of which is expected to eventually deal a blow on sales of wide-ranging Japanese goods here. Or, at least, this is the strategy of the boycotters.
Koreans infuriated with Japan's fresh claims over the Dokdo islands, a small group of rocky outcrops off the coast of the Korean peninsula, are hoping that Tokyo will back off once they experience economic damage.
Critics say the intention is naive, but supporters say significant impact is possible considering Korea's scale of contribution to the neighboring country's economy.
Trade deficit with Japan is expected to hit a record high at the end of this year, surpassing $30 billion for the first time. As of June 20, the account deficit hovered around $16.5 billion, up 9.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
Increasing outbound tourism to Japan, imports of high tech parts for Korean manufacturers and consumer electronics are considered the biggest factors fanning the trade imbalance.
Finding this too general, boycotters are posting online a complete list of Made in Japan goods ― about 90 names so far ― to advise consumers on what's Japanese. From Sony, Nikon, Mild Seven, Asahi, Honda to Shinseido, the roster includes names both familiar and unfamiliar to ordinary consumers.
``I didn't know Body Fit was from Japan until I saw the list,'' says Kim Joo-young, a 32-year-old, who realized that her favorite brand of feminine products was imported.
Another boycotter, Baek Jo-han, has confidence that a prolonged consumer protest could see results. ``Effects may be trivial at first, but we'll give it a few weeks and see how things work out,'' the 25-year-old said.
Imported brands are also taking the wait-and-see approach, as they fend off concerns that the latest move could take a heavy toll on sales.
``It's too early to note any changes, but foot traffic has been usual,'' says one department store sales agent for a Japanese cosmetics brand.
Automakers like Honda and Lexus are a bit more tense, fearing that the Dokdo row would take a hit on that their upward sales trend. Honda has been the best-selling imported vehicle here during the first half of this year, according to market data.
```There's nothing we can do at this point, but carefully watch new developments,'' said a sales agent at a Honda branch in northern Seoul. ``All we can hope is for consumers not to turn their backs on us.''