Eternal triangle in Northeast Asia

By Choi Sung-jin

There is an unwritten rule among all Korean athletes in national squads regardless of events: Never lose to Japan. Players say, half-jokingly, “We have to win even in rock, paper, and scissors if our counterparts are Japanese.”

In the championship final of the Premier12 baseball tournament in Tokyo on Sunday, however, Japan defeated Korea 5-3. Japan deserved the win by most accounts. Aside from the game itself, two things caught my eye ― the Japanese spectators and the playing styles of the two teams.

The organizers of Premier12 stress it is the international competition of the world's top-12 baseball powerhouses. Without the U.S. Major League Baseball players participating, however, its overall level is close to the Minor League's Triple-A class. Only three Northeast Asian countries ― Korea, Japan and Taiwan ― are paying particular attention to it.

Still, a near-capacity crowd of about 50,000 filled the Tokyo Dome Park for two days in a row when Korea and Japan met. The Japanese fans even participated in mass cheering, singing and motioning together, which appeared uncommon for normally staid Japanese people.

True, Korea pulled off a ninth-inning upset against Japan to win the championship in its inaugural tournament four years ago, also in Tokyo. However, the Japanese crowd over the weekend seemed to reflect the ongoing tense rivalry between the two nations in various areas.

As is with most things that came from the West, Japan has a far longer history and a much broader base than Korea in baseball, too. This notwithstanding, the Japanese players were more faithful to the basics ― hitting, catching and throwing balls. Korea's cleanup trio failed to live up to their name, but Team Korea lost the game mainly because of difference, albeit seemingly minor, in defense.

Also, the Japanese manager went by the text, making his players hit sacrifice bunts when games were close. His Korean counterpart pushed ahead with straight hitting in three successive innings with lead-off men at the first base, although his team was behind by one run. None reached the second base.

My observation is subjective, of course. Nor can there be ifs in baseball. But am I the only one to see parallels between baseball and diplomacy of the two countries?

People familiar with the Japanese say they are observant of rules, meticulous, tenacious and prepare well before starting anything. On the flip side, the Japanese are calculating and poker-faced with their society looking stagnant. The Japanese people's advantages are Koreans' disadvantages and vice versa. Koreans are more straight, pushing and flexible. However, the ends often justify the means here, trials and errors are common, and society can appear chaotic.

Nothing shows these contrasting characteristics better than the dispute over the military intelligence-sharing pact between the two countries. Only three days are left before the closure of this treaty, called the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) ― unless there comes an 11th-hour breakthrough by Saturday.

Tokyo threw the first punch in July, restricting the export of three critical materials for Korean industries for reasons of “national security.” It was the economic retaliation against the Korean Supreme Court's ruling last year, which called for three Japanese companies to pay compensation to surviving Korean victims of slave labor during World War II. Tokyo believes the decision ignored the 1965 basic treaty, which it said settled all right of claims once and for all.

In August, Seoul declared it would not renew GSOMIA, saying military cooperation is impossible with a partner that does not trust Korea's commitment to regional security. The two countries have since been in a game of chicken, each telling the other to withdraw its decision first, and forcing their common ally, the U.S., to step in.

Washington, however, has been a rather partial mediator siding with Tokyo, which first caused the stir citing security reasons. Critics of the Moon Jae-in administration say its decision to terminate GSOMIA was a big mistake that failed to take into account the U.S. adherence to the pact.

Moon's political opponents maintain that Tokyo served Seoul a trick once again by turning the Korea-Japan dispute into a Korea-U.S. issue. Yes, a close relationship between Korea and Japan will be essential for U.S. efforts to keep China in check and its Indo-Pacific strategy for a similar purpose.

If the GSOMIA is so crucial for the U.S. strategic interests, Washington should persuade ― or press ― Tokyo that first provided fodder for its termination. If Washington continues to twist Seoul's arm, the Korean people's sentiments on their largest, and most important, ally could change. Already, President Donald Trump's outrageous demand for a fivefold increase in Seoul's sharing of defense costs has prompted ordinary Koreans to ask, “Is the U.S. our ally or an extortionist?”

National characters hardly change. Even more unchangeable seem to be national interests in this part of the world. Since at least a century and a half ago, the U.S. has always put Tokyo ahead of Seoul in its regional strategy except when America and Japan were at war.

If Korea feels that it is mistreated, it has no other way but to get larger stronger, and become a more attractive partner for the U.S. in the eternal triangle of Northeast Asia. The present situation in which Seoul is being torn apart between Washington and Pyongyang is all the more regrettable in that regard.

Japan can hardly be Korea's friend as long as it seeks to “restore the glory of the past.” The reunification of South and North Korea may take some time, but the two Koreas should be on far better terms than now. Seoul should not estrange Pyongyang. South Korea needs to move faster and more boldly toward the North as far as circumstances allow.

Fortunately, beating Japan in the baseball event of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics may be easier, provided the Korean players and their manager return to the basics. Even the winning Japanese manager said, out of courtesy for the loser, the gap between the two countries is paper-thin. Korea should, and can, turn the pleasantry into a reality in most other areas.

Choi Sung-jin is a Korea Times columnist. Contact him at choisj1955@naver.com.