Time For Japan-South Korea To Move Beyond Guilt And Grievance

For Koreans, colonial memory is not abstract. It's deeply personal. My family members lived through those decades, and their ordeal was real. Yet so was the hardship of postwar Japanese civilians, many of whom had no part in the decisions made by generals and bureaucrats, and who were themselves shattered by a war their country initiated.

The standard language of diplomacy has often sought to put these legacies to rest through treaties, compensation, and statements of regret. Japan and South Korea normalized relations in 1965, and further apologies and compensation from Japan followed in the decades.

Still, public opinion polls in South Korea continue to show high levels of distrust toward Japan. Every few years, a new flare-up over textbooks, monuments or territorial disputes threatens to undo whatever seemingly fragile reconciliation was achieved.

That's because historical wounds are not healed by legal documents alone. They exist in families, in classrooms, in cemeteries. They are passed down, not merely as facts, but as emotions such as grief, pride and resentment.

Diplomatic settlements aim for closure, but memories resist it.

But here's the uncomfortable truth. Not all uses of memory serve to heal, and not all grievances must last forever. At some point, nations must choose what kind of future they want to live in.

Must past injustice always define present identity? If so, then the colonizer will always be guilty, and the colonized will always be aggrieved. What room does that leave for mutual dignity?

Koreans have every right to remember colonialism. Yet if remembrance becomes a tool to demand endless moral submission from its neighbor, it risks turning historical justice into political capital. At the same time, if Japan continues to deny the emotional truth of colonial memory, reconciliation will always be one step out of reach.

Sign up for one of our free newsletters

• The Daily Report Start your day right with Asia Times' top stories
• AT Weekly Report A weekly roundup of Asia Times' most-read stories

The past should not be forgotten. It should be studied, debated, written about, and passed down honestly. That said, nations cannot live forever in the shadow of their worst chapters. Guilt is not a political foundation. Neither is grievance. History must guide the future, not imprison it.

The 80th anniversary, therefore, shouldn't just be a time to remember what was lost. It should also be a moment to ask what kind of peace we're still trying to build. And whether Japan and South Korea are finally ready to break free from the old shadows and reconcile for a shared future.

Kenji Yoshida is a Seoul-based correspondent for JAPAN Forward. He has lived, studied, and worked in Japan and South Korea for many years and speaks both languages fluently.

Sign up here to comment on Asia Times stories Or Sign in to an existing accoun

Thank you for registering!

An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link.

• Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
• Click to print (Opens in new window) Print