This week, an article by the Chinese media outlet Xinhua discussing a survey among Korean high school students revealed that the teenagers have a bleak view of future relations with Japan due to current tensions between the two nations.
When the article appeared in Japanese and was reposted on Yahoo! Japan, it quickly drew thousands of comments from netizens, many of whom share a dismal appraisal of relations with their Korean counterparts.
From Xinhua.jp:
Korea Survey: Relations With Japan As Seen By Korean High School Students “Has Bleak Prospects” and “Japan Should Apologise For Past Wrongdoings”
According to a survey report published on March 28 by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, 95.5% of Korean high school students thought that the diplomatic conflict over historical issues between Japan and Korea would continue.
74.3% of high school students, who were the object of the survey responded that “The conflict would continue to a certain extent” and 21.2% replied that “Relations between both nations are wavering due to the diplomatic conflict”.
Furthermore, 79.6% responded that “There are a lot of problems surrounding relations between the two countries”. There were numerous responses that said due to many historical issues such as “The territorial dispute over Dokdo (Japanese name: Takeshima)”, and “The forced prostitution of military comfort women in Korea during the era of WW2”, “The prospects for relations between the two nations is bleak”.
96.4% of respondents demonstrated that they thought “The Japanese government should apologise to Korea for past wrongdoings”.
On the question sheet, one high school student wrote: “As important nations in East Asia, Korea and Japan should co-operate with each other. However, if neither nation settles what happened in the past, then trouble between the victims and the aggressors will continue”.
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union carried out the survey for the first time this month in 334 high schools in Korea. When the results of this survey were compared with the results of a survey of 960 elementary and middle schools in 2002, it was understood that the number of students who thought that “the diplomatic conflict between Japan and Korea would continue” and that “Japan should apologise to Korea” had increased.
The Korean government opposed a middle-school textbook which Japan announced had been officially certified on March 26, when it became known that the textbook stated that Dokdo had been unilaterally occupied by Korea. Dokdo is an island of which has an area of around 0.18m^2 and is located in the eastern maritime region of the Korean peninsula. North Korea, South Korea, and Japan, all assert territorial rights to the island.
Comments from Yahoo! Japan:
ｔａｎ（tan…）さん:
It’s Korea that should apologise for its wrongdoings toward Japan in the present!
ser***（dar…）さん:
Absolutely no need for Japan to apologise! Quit your fucking extortion and lies. Actually, we demand an apology from Korea for stealing the Buddhist statue and Takeshima!
韓流追放（khk…）さん:
Takeshima is Japanese territory! Japan, quickly cut off your diplomatic ties with Korea!
韓流追放（khk…）さん:
Tsushima is Japanese territory!
Stop fucking around, Korea!
You are our greatest enemy!
てっちゃん（tec…）さん:
Pricks (grr) It’s the fucking Koreans who shouldn’t avert their eyes from the truth! Well, who cares about the South Koreans anyway — we don’t need them!
rea*mai*ma*i*（rea…）さん:
We’ve apologised so many times, and we’ve already settled what happened in the past……
I think that insofar as they don’t even attempt to accept this, then it’s fine if we cut off diplomatic ties once more.
man*ma*u*66（man…）さん:
Until they have the correct education in the peninsula, then I don’t suppose there’ll ever be an improvement in relations.
土ころび（t_t…）さん:
Japan-Korea treaty, article concerning agreement of claim rights.
Both contracting states acknowledge that issues relating to the claim rights of both nations, and the assets of the people of those nations, as well as their rights and profits, including that which is stipulated in article 4 (a) of the peace treaty with Japan which was signed in San Francisco on September 8, 1951, are completely and finally resolved.
These are all of the claim rights of both one contracting state and the people of said state, and the other contracting state and the people of said state, and it will be taken that no further claims may be made regarding issues whose grounds originated prior to this day.
Nothing further.
So, as it says in the article of the treaty, further claims themselves are in violation of the treaty, dickheads.
tda*8*2g（tda…）さん:
Toku-A countries tell lies like breathing.
韓流追放（khk…）さん:
Return the statue of Buddha immediately.
mna511（mna…）さん:
Koreans have an historical education that is completely fabricated, so the way people think about things in Japan and Korea is not the same. As for Japan, we can say that breaking off diplomatic relations with Korea would be of most benefit to Japan as a nation.
まっぴい（m19…）さん:
Young people have just been completely brainwashed by historical facts ridden with lies. You fucking bastards have a country that is already bankrupt. But it’s pissing us off now, so please stop your blackmail and extortion.
n_n6m_m*t_t**（a_x…）さん:
If you want brighter prospects, then isn’t it better to just sever diplomatic ties? If you do that, it would be great. We Japanese don’t really give a fuck, but I wonder if you lot, who are secretly obsessed with Japan could actually do it? (笑)
chopper（cho…）さん:
You were taught about the past, right? And it was all fabricated. How about what your fellow countrymen are doing before your very eyes, right now? Have you ever thought about why you’re hated so much throughout the world?
お試しマン（ota…）さん:
I wonder what Japanese high school students think? Particularly the girls…
Forcefully brainwashed by Korea, don’t you girls think that those big-jawed guys are the coolest? They’re just rapists. Didn’t they teach you that in school, either?
left（lef…）さん:
Understand the treaty on basic relations well. People of Korea.
fla*ma*st（fla…）さん:
I wonder why it’s the young people who are more anti-Japanese. And I wonder if KPOP really is that stupid.
フルーツチンポ侍（oqk…）さん:
And what are the past wrongdoings that we have to apologise for? You lot are sickening, so don’t look over here.
chopper（cho…）さん:
Koreans need to think about how bad their own behaviour is.
