03-04 Korea

A lot of men act like animals during wartime, but nothing prepared me for the issue of “comfort women” in Korea. Apparently during WW2, the Japanese, who had occupied Korea since 1910, rounded up about 200,000 young Korean women to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers. The statue in Seoul keeps the issue alive even today.
As was typical when I went to a foreign nation to attend a world conference on small business, I would receive a special briefing from the Canadian Trade Commissioner. And in Tokyo, I learned about Japan’s relationship with all its trading partners who would be in attendance.
But I was warned that despite the strong trading relationship between Japan and Korea, there is a lot of underlying animosity going back to WW2.
Few Americans and Canadians are aware of this kind of tension and assume both nations are strong western trading partners, well outside the Chinese orbit. But when there is tension and restrictions on trade between the two nations, it spills over because today what is called supply chains involves a whole range of nations making component parts for each other. China buys a component part from Japan, but that part has components made in South Korea.
The photo of Moon-Jae of Korea and Shinzo Abe of Japan represents current tensions and new restrictions on the export of key Japanese component parts to South Korea. And in South Korea there is a movement to boycott the purchase of Japanese products. Yes, Koreans drive Japanese cars.
It was very strategic when the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership was announced by President Obama. This was a free trade agreement between 12 Asian nations that did not include Korea or China. President Trump refused to participate, but the agreement went ahead with the remaining 11. It is now called the TPP11.
And, of course, the new key player is Japan. And although Korea is interested in joining the TPP11, I do not believe Japan will permit it. That old enmity is still there.
It is so interesting how the leadership in Britain and Germany have put the Second World War behind them. Why can’t the politicians in Japan and Korea do the same thing?