Historical Distortion Persists from Gunhamdo to Dokdo... A 'Landmine' in Korea-Japan Relations

From Forced Labor Compensation Proposal to Yoon's Preemptive 'Concession'
Visible Support Lacking on Historical Distortion
Tightening Japan-Korea Tensions as the 'Weak Link' in Trilateral Relations

As the close cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, positioned opposite North Korea and China, has been elevated to a quasi-alliance level, Japan's government is expanding its budget for promoting sovereignty over Dokdo and issues related to historical disputes between South Korea and Japan, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's 'Gunkanjima resolution,' are emerging as new flashpoints.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has proactively shown 'generous concessions' in diplomacy with Japan, including compensation for forced labor victims, withdrawal of Japan's export restrictions complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima. However, Japan has not shown visible cooperation regarding historical distortion issues. With the upcoming general elections next year and the opposition party targeting a pro-Japanese frame, attention is focused on the government's response.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 11th, the 45th World Heritage Committee, which recommends dialogue with related countries regarding the Meiji Industrial Revolution heritage, including the coal mine on Hashima Island (Gunkanjima) in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, will be held from the 10th to the 25th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The resolution related to follow-up measures for Japan's modern industrial facilities World Heritage registration is expected to be adopted between the 14th and 16th.

In 2015, the Japanese government pledged to establish exhibition facilities to remember forced labor victims and to engage in dialogue with related countries, including South Korea, during the process of registering the Meiji Industrial Revolution heritage, including Gunkanjima, as a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, the Japanese government has not kept this promise for seven years. According to a 2021 investigation by UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites, Japan failed to properly implement the World Heritage Committee's recommendation to adequately inform about the history of forced labor. A Foreign Ministry official stated, "Our government's position and comprehensive evaluation will be announced after the adoption of the resolution." If Japan does not take follow-up measures related to Gunkanjima, bilateral relations could deteriorate once again.

The Dokdo sovereignty issue is also a stumbling block. According to Japanese foreign media, Japan plans to significantly increase its budget next year for promoting sovereignty over Dokdo. The Japanese government is reportedly allocating about 300 million yen (approximately 270 million KRW) for information activities asserting that Dokdo (referred to by Japan as Takeshima), the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu Islands by China), and the four southern islands of the Kuril Islands, known as the 'Northern Territories,' belong to Japan.

While some view the Dokdo sovereignty dispute as an 'annual event' by the Japanese government, there is criticism that the South Korean government is being passive in responding to historical distortion. In fact, the government has drastically cut the budget for Dokdo protection and for responding to Japan's historical distortion next year. According to the '2024 Northeast Asian History Foundation Support Project Budget Status' disclosed by Assemblyman An Min-seok of the National Assembly's Education Committee on the 3rd, the Northeast Asian History Foundation's budget for research projects responding to Japan's historical distortion will shrink by 73.6% (1.492 billion KRW), from 2.028 billion KRW this year to 536 million KRW next year. The budget for protecting Dokdo sovereignty was reduced by 1.29 billion KRW (25%), from 517 million KRW this year to 388 million KRW next year.