Sherman remarks may undermine bilateral relations

By Kang Seung-woo

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman failed to understand complicated regional politics when she took sides with Japan for trying to distort its colonial history of occupation, experts and politicians say.

“The Sherman remarks reflect the U.S. stance that icy relations between Korea and Japan do not help the U.S. policy of containing China in Northeast Asia,” said Hong Hyun-ik, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute.

“Her remarks are irresponsible because she holds Korea, China and Japan equally responsible,” said Hong, adding the U.S. took a leading role in the postwar settlement.

“Of course, Japan is the most to blame. But the U.S. cannot avoid responsibility for its poor postwar settlement which led to a disagreement over history.”

Sherman said Friday in a seminar in Washington, D.C. that “Nationalist feelings can still be exploited, and it’s not hard for a political leader anywhere to earn cheap applause by vilifying a former enemy.”

Her remarks were widely interpreted as the U.S. blaming President Park Geun-hye for the standstill with the Korea-Japan relationship. Marking the 96th anniversary of the March 1, 1919 Independence Movement Day, Park criticized Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his “selective memory” in denying the existence of forced sexual slavery.

Hong raised the possibility of the Seoul-Washington relationship being damaged, especially over the emotional issue of the Dokdo Islets, which Japan has laid claim to.

The dispute dates back to the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, where the U.S. excluded Dokdo from Korean territory, giving Japan the room to manipulate its position, Hong said. The treaty was Japan’s postwar settlement with the allied powers.

Some say that Sherman’s remarks had other purposes.

The Obama administration hopes to conclude negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with Japan in the first half of the year and Sherman’s remarks were intended to curry favor with Tokyo to end the talks when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the U.S. in April.

“The U.S. invitation of Abe in April indicates its intention to wrap up the negotiations,” said Prof. Kim Yeoul-soo of Sungshin Women’s University.

Both ruling and opposition parties were in unison in expressing their displeasure.

“Should the U.S. maintain a position that snubs victims, its status of policing the world will not last long,” said Rep. Kim Eul-dong of the ruling Saenuri Party at a party meeting.

“Sherman’s remarks put a damper on President Park Geun-hye’s call for Japan’s self-reflection on the historical issue.”

Rep. Oh Young-sik of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy said, “The remarks show the U.S. is seeking to maximize its strategic and economic interests, just stressing stability and peace in Northeast Asia.”

Given the condemnation of the remarks, the government is now attempting to ease the controversy, downplaying them.

Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong told lawmakers that Korea will deal with this issue “with a sense of gravity.”

“Seoul’s foreign ministry does not take her comments lightly,” Cho said. “But the government has found that there is no change in the U.S. stance over the history issue. The two countries plan to exchange views over the issue more closely in the near future.”

However, Hong said that the foreign ministry needs to express concerns over the issue to Washington.

“Unless we clearly express our position to the U.S., efforts to resolve the historical issue may fizzle out,” he said, urging the government to get the U.S. to press Japan to take a sincere attitude on the issue.