Japan wants to unify national cohesion with Dokdo issue

As an observer, I find that the Dokdo issue raised by Japan every so often is becoming somewhat annoying. I believe the attempt to draw Korea into a legal dispute with the IJC is nothing more than a weak attempt at turning its people’s attention from real issues such as a continuously bad economy and negative growth prospects toward a dispute with a country many Japanese still wrongly believe is a “weak” nation.

However, this is where today’s Japanese politicians and extremists fail miserably in realizing that today’s modern Korea (that is South Korea) is a rising star of the Far East with a very bright tomorrow unlike Japan, which is frankly, becoming more and more of a “has-been” power in Asia day by day. Knowing this clearly should shape the way Koreans react to the Dokdo discussions that rattle the international news so often these days.

Korea is managing the issue rather well lately and has taken a turn for the better recently unlike years ago when it overreacted by claiming as its own so emphatically and emotionally. Why put up a big show when you know it is yours, anyway? Dokdo is Korean. Koreans own it and can visit freely anytime. The Japanese cannot. That’s the end of the story.

By the logic of the Japanese right-wing politicians, the Japanese should return Japan to the Ainu, Americans should return North America to the native Indians and Latin Americans should pack and return to Spain and Portugal.

I suggest if Japan continues to publicize ridiculous claims to Dokdo, then Korea should start advertising all over the world via various media that the whole island of Kyushu belongs to Korea as frankly the past kingdom of Baekjae can reasonably claim it as its own by a similar ridiculous stretch of logic. This will send a clear message to the rest of the world that if Japan can claim something using a ridiculous method, then Korea can claim something even more ridiculous. This is not tit for tat. This is tit plus usurious interest for every tat, and would, I am sure, send a comical note to everyone (except the Japanese, perhaps).

In closing, Japan has to come to realize sooner or later that a good amicable relationship with Korea is good for them as Japan frankly is not really “loved” by the rest of its Asian neighbors, mostly due to their recent historical past of cruel imperialism. Instead, Japanese leaders should focus on fixing the country’s economic problems, increasing incentives for the young to get themselves well educated and show them a bright future, which they are very capable of. My prediction is that in the very long term, Korea and Japan will likely have very strong ties as their ancestry is quite similar. I equate the two as brothers separated early in their life as the younger one became successful first, looks down on the older brother who is recently getting richer, not realizing they are brothers.

Um Joon-ho

Investment manager in US