Koreans in US join boycott of Japan
Members of the Seattle Evergreen Hiking Club hold up a ``No Japan'' sign on Mount Rainier in Seattle. Courtesy of Seattle Evergreen Hiking Club
By Jane Han
SEATTLE ― Song Ji-hye always stocked up on Japanese curry, tsuyu and miso when she shopped at her local Asian supermarket. Now, all three have been permanently cut from her grocery list.
``Definitely a permanent change for my family from now on,'' said Song, 42, a mother of two and homemaker who lives in a Seattle suburb. ``This is the very least I can do to support my home country during a time like this.''
South Korea and Japan have been facing off in an escalating trade feud, which was largely triggered and fueled by a century-long bitter history between the two countries.
Following a Korean court ruling allowing individuals to seek compensation from Japanese companies for forced labor during World War II, Japan's economic pressure began.
Japan slapped export bans on crucial chemicals Korean tech giants need to make some of the most important products for the country's economy.
Koreans have since staged a widespread boycott of Japanese products and everything Japan. And Koreans in the U.S. are jumping in, too.
From something simple as avoiding popular Japanese brands to rethinking big ticket purchases, the boycott is influencing people's everyday lives in big and small ways.
``I put down a deposit on a new Yamaha piano for my kids,'' said Sohn Min-kyung 39, who lives in Los Angeles. ``But after all the latest drama with Japan, I backed out from the purchase and went with Baldwin instead. The quality isn't as good, but I figured that's something I can sacrifice for a bigger purpose. I want to set a good example for my children.''
Kim Ji-sun, 27, a graduate student in New York, said her weekly visit to Muji, a Japanese apparel and home goods chain, in SOHO had already stopped weeks ago.
``It was my weekend ritual, a time to relax and shop around after a long week,'' said Kim, ``But now I spend my time someplace else. There's got to be more options than Muji in a city like New York.''
Popular Asian grocery chains like H-Mart are beginning to notice the impact of the boycott.
``We're offering more discounts on Japanese products but that hasn't been enough to curb falling sales,'' said an H-Mart employee, who asked not to be named. ``I can't speak numbers, but we are definitely noticing a drop across the board on all made in Japan categories.''
The boycott is involving more organization and teamwork online, with Koreans living all across the U.S. sharing information on which brands and products to avoid and which Korean brands or other alternatives are available.
``We couldn't fight for independence 100 years ago, but boycotting Japan is something we can easily do today. Let's do what we can do. It is our responsibility,'' wrote a user on MissyUSA, the largest online community among Koreans in the U.S. The posting attracted more than 200 replies cheering on the move.
Dozens of other boycott-related threads are posted daily.
``Close to 2 million Koreans living in the U.S. can and should make a difference,'' wrote another user.