Hanryu

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Anti-Korea sentiment can be viewed in modern events as well. During the 2002 FIFA World Cup, when Japan and Korea co-hosted, each country’s supporters had serious conflicts. Especially after Koreans ranked higher than Japan, Japanese media reported Korea negatively and online bulletins were on fire (Maliangkay). The nation was furious.

On December 2009, about a dozen Japanese men gathered in front of a school gate, using bullhorns to call Korean students cockroaches and Korean spies. They even wore a armband with the phrase, “The Volunteer Corps Against Lawless Koreans” (Fackler). This incident seems to suggest there is still hatred against ethnic Koreans, even if target of their protests were elementary school kids. Just like what this even portrays, Koreans living in Japan, in the media, articles, or in Japan in general, are viewed as the inferior group of people, hence, are treated unequally and discriminated accordingly.

In 2001, there was a poll held for ethnic Koreans living in Japan. According to the survey, only 13.5% of South Korean citizens uses their Korean names, whereas 50% uses Japanese names (Lie). This is not because these Zainichi Koreans are embarrassed of their origin, but it’s the Japanese society’s unpleasant reaction towards the fact that they are from Korea.

Hanryu Steps In: Start of something new, or was it?

Finally, Hanryu steps in. As Hanryu was introduced and the Korean Wave shifted across East Asia, its growth of popularity was inexpressible in words. South Korean pop-culture was creating a new unity in various nations. Media reports Hanryu has reconciled the ever-lasting hostility between Japan and Korea. However, at the same time, created a anti-Hanryu wave among certain groups of Japanese society.

On August 9th, 2011, 2000 Japanese people protested in front of Fuji TV headquarters to stop broadcasting Korean dramas. 2000 is a number not to be taken lightly, considering these are the people who’s negative attitudes are extreme. Japanese media, as if to reflect the audience’s feelings, constantly depicted Koreans negatively. These include reference to stereotypes of Koreans, such as use of dongs in Korean cuisine (Hwang). These unfavorable illustrations strengthen Japanese hatred against Koreans and hence intensifies the negative depiction, causing an endless cycle. Statistics show that this endless cycle of explicit negative portrayal of Koreans and rising hatred emerged only after “Hanryu” came in (Maliangkay).

As Korean idol groups created a “Korean Wave,” and more and more people in Japan started to appreciate Korean celebrities coming into their country, it seemed as if racial discriminations are disappearing slowly. It was impossible to imagine that these celebrities were, in fact, enhancing racial discrimination. The comic book called, “Hating the Korean Wave” sold 360,000 copies just in 2005 (Onishi). The book not only humiliates Korean celebrities, but also contains picture that sexually harasses female idol groups from Korea. It is also important to note that in this book, Japanese people are portrayed with big eyes and blond hair, while Koreans are drawn with small eyes and black hair. This suggests that Japanese people considers Western people and their characteristics as superior, leading them to have discriminative feelings on other Asian countries, especially Koreans.

Some professionals state, the reason of anti-Hanryu comes from “jealousy” or the tendency for Japanese people to view Koreans as the “inferior group of people” due to the history of colonization. Perhaps Hanryu was introduced at the wrong timing. Perhaps Japan wasn’t ready to accept anything from Korea. No matter what the reason, Hanryu was not able to overcome the huge wall named “history.” Hanryu, in fact, strengthened the wall.

Now What?

In the 21st century, Korea and Japan developed into a first-world nation where people from different parts of Asia seek for better economic opportunities. In other words, Japan and Korea have grown into two of the most significant nations in the world. Such developed and globalized nations should now face a transition into a higher level of racial and cultural tolerance. The fact that contemporary attitude of Korea and Japan towards each other comes from history does not reflect that these two countries are two of the most developed nations around the world.

There is a need for the international community to encourage the Japanese government to decrease bias in Japanese media against Korea and its history of colonization, rather than a factor that brings thought of superiority. Korea, as well, should begin considering the Imperial Era only as a part of history, something that should not provoke hostility against Japan.

Indeed, it is impossible for the animosity rising from history to be completely cleaned out from both countries. After all, history cannot be modified nor be destroyed. However, it is possible for us to take an effort to minimize the discriminations and the animosity that comes from this. In 1980s to 1990s, Japanese government took an effort to reduce the discrimination and started to hire Koreans in corporations and changed the policy of permanent residency status of Koreans in Japan. (Moon) With continuous effort, our generation would not be far from a genuine new start.

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Works Cited

Fackler, Martin. "New Dissent in Japan Is Loudly Anti-Foreign." The New York Times (2010). Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Hwang, Eugene. "Anti-Korean Wave divides opinion in Japan." Yonhap Feature 4 Nov. 2011 [Seoul] . NDCatalog. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Lie, John. Zainichi (Koreans in Japan): Diasproic Nationalism and Postcolonial Identity. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2008. N. pag. Print.

Maliangkay, Roald. "When the Korean Wave Ripples." IIAS Newsletter 42 (2006): 15+. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Moon, Rennie. "Koreans in Japan." SPICE: Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education. Stanford, 2010. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.

Onishi, Norimitsu. "Ugly Images of Asian Rivals Become Best Sellers in Japan." The New York Times (2005). Web. 1 Nov. 2014.

Soh, Sarah. "Japan's Responsibility Toward Comfort Women Survivors." JPRI: Japan Policy Research Institute 77 (2001). NDCatalog. Web.