1. S
Tigers in the Sun:
South Korean and Taiwanese People’s
Opinions Toward Japan
Daniel Josephson 林文森
Advisor: Dr. Ming Lee 李明
2. Introduction
“65% of Taiwanese feel either ‘close’ or ‘really close’ to Japan.” (IAJ, 2012)
76.6% of South Koreans “held ‘unfavorable’ or ‘relatively unfavorable’
views of Japan.” (Genron EAI, 2013)
79% of South Korean people have negative feelings toward Japan (BBC,
2014)
4.5% of South Koreans “like” Japan, while 44% “dislike” her. (SC, 2015-16)
40.2% of Taiwanese people “like” Japan, while 7.54% “dislike” her. (SC,
2015-16)
3. Research Objectives
To find out why these two former colonies’ citizens have such
contrasting opinions toward Japan
Why is there such a difference in Taiwanese and South Korean
people’s public opinions toward Japan?
15. Personal Interviews
Professor Yuan I (November, 2015)
“I think that the unification issue differs
drastically, simply because the sheer size of
the two divided nations.”
National Chengchi University (NCCU)
Department of International Relations
Cross-strait relations
16. Personal Interviews
Jia-ge 賈哥 (January, 2016)
“Japan treated Taiwan as a colony, not her
own country.”
First generation Taiwanese restaurateur
Active KMT/NP supporter
17. Personal Interviews
Wu Xuan Liang 吳宣亮 (January, 2016)
“I was taught to think, but not to talk.”
Camera equipment business owner
Active DPP supporter
18. Personal Interviews
Won Jong Eem 원종임 (November, 2015)
“Frankly speaking, I don't like Japan much in
the light of politics and history..”
JPL Certified
South Korean housewife
Educated at Chung-an University (Anseong-
si)
19. Personal Interviews
Mr. Kim
“We, Korean people, are really mad about
Japan's behavior and reaction about
Japanese colonial rule and enforced sex
slaves.”
Pohang, South Korea
Pattern related design (FIT, NY, USA)
20. Hypothesis
South Korean and Taiwanese people have
very contrasting opinions toward Japan due
to a combination of historical differences,
and Taiwanese people’s political attitudes
toward Mainland China.
21. Theoretical Framework
The theory ties a lower level of negativity from Taiwanese
people toward Japan because of a more negative
political attitude toward Mainland China, as well as a
different historical outlook on the Japanese rule and what
followed it.
Both a historically and contemporarily based theory; this
theory involves the effects of mid-twentieth century
history, in combination with an international relations
based theory which is tied to ideologies surrounding
reunification with China or North Korea
22. Theoretical Framework
Independent variable(1): Opinions toward overall effects
of Japanese colonial rule dependent variable: opinion
towards Japan
Independent variable(2): Opinions toward historical
events during and after Japanese colonial rule
dependent variable: opinion towards Japan
Independent variable(3): Political attitude towards
unification with Mainland China/North Koreadependent
variable: opinion towards Japan
23. Theoretical Framework
Intervening Variable(I): Age group
Intervening Variable (II): Political party identification
Both of these intervening variables are significant, but
have proven to be too weak to be considered as crucial
independent variables.
Taiwan and South Korea are both <15% senior citizens
Many Taiwanese and South Koreans do not choose
parties
24. Q3: 3. 다음 중 본인이 정치적으로 지지하는 정
당을 선택하시오? Which politically party do you
affiliate yourself with?
Answered: 200 Skipped: 0
25. Q3: 3. 다음 중 본인이 정치적으로 지지하는 정
당을 선택하시오? Which politically party do you
affiliate yourself with?
Answered: 200 Skipped: 0
26. Q9: 您支持的政黨為？ Which political party do you
affiliate yourself with?
Answered: 200 Skipped: 0
27. Q9: 您支持的政黨為？ Which political party do you
affiliate yourself with?
Answered: 200 Skipped: 0
28. Literature Review
“INSIGHT: Do South Koreans really hate Japan?” (Asahi
Shimbun, 2013)
“The Odd Couple: Japan and Taiwan’s unlikely friendship”
(Thim, Matusoka, 2014)
“Taiwan Under Japanese Colonial Rule, 1895 – 1945: History,
Culture, Memory.” (Liao, Wang, 2006)
“Japanese Colonialism in Taiwan: Land Tenure, Development,
and Dependency, 1895 – 1945.” (Ka, 1995)
“Under the Black Umbrella: Voices from Colonial Korea, 1910 –
1945.” (Hildi, 2005)
29. Literature Review
“Disciplining Taiwan: The Kuomintang’s Methods of Control
during the White Terror Era (1947 – 1987)” (Chen, 2015)
“Democracy on Trial: Social Movements and Cultural Politics in
Postauthoritarian Taiwan” (Chuang, 2013)
“Korean Comfort Women: The Intersection of Colonial Comfort,
Gender, and Power.” (Min, 2003)
“Why Now is the Time to Resolve the Dokdo/Takeshima
Dispute.” (Bowman, 2013)
“China: Fragile Superpower” (Shirk, 2007)
30. Literature Review (cont’d…)
Chungku, Kang, Euicheol, Lee, Friedhoff, &Jiyoon, Kim.
“South Korean Attitudes toward North Korea and
Reunification.” Public Opinion Studies Program, Asan
Report (Feb. 2015): 29 – 35
Mearsheimer, John J. “Say Goodbye to Taiwan.” The
National Interest, March-April 2014.
31. Historical Differences
Resistance/violence:
South Korean comfort women (200,000)
Taiwanese comfort women (2,000)
March 1st Incident (3/1/1919) - 45,000
prisoners, nearly 16,000 injured, and over 7,500
dead.
Tapani Incident (1915) – 1,424 prisoners, 1,412
dead.
32. Q11: 11. 나는 다음의 사건들을 떠올릴 시, 분노
나 슬픔이 일어나는 것을 느낀다. (해당되는 모든 항
목을 선택하시오.) The following names or
incidents incite sorrow or anger. (Check all that
apply)
Answered: 194 Skipped: 6
33. Q11: 11. 나는 다음의 사건들을 떠올릴 시, 분노
나 슬픔이 일어나는 것을 느낀다. (해당되는 모든 항
목을 선택하시오.) The following names or
incidents incite sorrow or anger. (Check all that
apply)
Answered: 194 Skipped: 6
36. Historical Differences
Resistance/violence:
“Bandit” casualties (1903)- >10,000 dead
Jia-ge 賈哥 – said that during the turn of the century, the media
was not nearly effective as it was by the mid 1900s, and used
the term Mei-yopu-bian 沒有鋪變, or “not widespread.”
Reflecting off of the same phrase, he also said that it was also
the nature of the late 19th century and early 20th century
uprisings that do not upset the Taiwanese today. Because the
roughly 10,000 “bandits” were dispersed from different
movements throughout the island, many Taiwanese people do
not take it as personally. The uprisings, according to Jia-ge賈哥
, were not exactly a collective movement, and because of that,
it is not remembered the same way as the February 28, 1947 –
an incident that Taiwanese people never forget.
37. Historical Differences
Resistance/violence:
Professor Yuan I - “Japan took a more forceful policy with
South Korea.”
Koreans were not treated the same as Taiwanese, and there
were higher numbers of deaths and comfort women, or forced
sex slaves. It is for reasons such as this that Koreans of today,
from information that has been passed down, feel much more
negatively toward Japan than Taiwanese of today. Dr. Yuan’s
input, as well as empirical data that I retrieved from my own
surveys, continue to prove one half of my argument that due to
historical differences, Taiwanese people have more neutral or
positive feelings toward Japan than South Korean people do.
38. Q4: 4. 일본 식민지 시절은 극단적이고도 무의
미한 폭력의 시기였다. Japanese colonization was
a period of extreme, pointless violence.
Answered: 200 Skipped: 0
39. Q4: 4. 일본 식민지 시절은 극단적이고도 무의
미한 폭력의 시기였다. Japanese colonization was
a period of extreme, pointless violence.
Answered: 200 Skipped: 0
46. Historical Differences
Education/administrative policies (Korea):
“If one finds [in the colonial period]
enlightenment and progress, one also finds
national subjugation, shame and betrayal,
political authoritarianism and violence, and
profound human suffering.” (Kang, 2001)
47. Q5: 5. 일본의 식민지 지배로 인해 대한민국은 어떠
한 교육적, 경제적 특혜도 입지 않았다. There were not
any educational or economic benefits from Japanese
colonization.
Answered: 199 Skipped: 1
48. Q5: 5. 일본의 식민지 지배로 인해 대한민국은 어떠
한 교육적, 경제적 특혜도 입지 않았다. There were not
any educational or economic benefits from Japanese
colonization.
Answered: 199 Skipped: 1
49. Historical Differences
Education/administrative policies (Taiwan):
Jia-ge 賈哥 - “The Japanese government treated
Taiwan as a colony, not as her own country; they
took Taiwan’s resources, like wood and minerals,
and used them.”
Mr. Lai – “Japan treated Taiwanese the same…like
the U.S. did to the Philippines, and France did to
Vietnam.”
52. Contemporary Political Issues
Taiwanese people’s political attitudes toward Mainland China
affect their opinions toward Japan.
Mearsheimer, John J. “Say Goodbye to Taiwan.” The National
Interest, March-April 2014.
This research article Election Study Center shows that only
10% of ROC citizens support reunification with Mainland
China (90% want to maintain the status quo indefinitely, and
80.2% would opt for independence if there was no war.)
53. Contemporary Political Issues
My own empirical data shows that 33.5% of
ROC respondents are neutral or in
agreement with reunification with Mainland
China, while only 17.5% fully support it.
It shows that only 1.64% of respondents who
“disagree” and only 2.78% who “strongly
disagree” with the “one-country, two
systems” policy “dislike” Japan.
It also shows that 55.56% of respondents
who “strongly disagree” with the “one-
country, two systems” policy “like” Japan.
56. Contemporary Political Issues
By contrast, South Korean people tend to be
more open to reunification with North Korea.
Chungku, Kang, Euicheol, Lee, Friedhoff,
&Jiyoon, Kim. “South Korean Attitudes toward
North Korea and Reunification.” Public Opinion
Studies Program, Asan Report (Feb. 2015): 29 –
35
This research study/survey 82.6% of ROK
citizens “are interested” in unification with North
Korea.
57. Contemporary Political Issues
My own empirical data shows that 70.5% of
ROK respondents are neutral or in
agreement with future reunification with the
DPRK, and 46.5% fully support it.
Because of this, South Korean people do not
view Japan as a military safeguard like many
Taiwanese people do.
58. Q8: 8. 나는 미래에 남한과 북한의 통일이 일어나기
를 원치 않는다. I am opposed to any future unification
of North and South Korea.
Answered: 200 Skipped: 0
59. Q8: 8. 나는 미래에 남한과 북한의 통일이 일어나기
를 원치 않는다. I am opposed to any future unification
of North and South Korea.
Answered: 200 Skipped: 0
60. Conclusion
After looking deeply through my collection of secondary
sociological data, self-conducted empirical data, and a
diverse collection of personal interviews, I remain true to
my deepest belief that it is because of a combination of
historical differences, and Taiwanese people’s political
attitudes toward Mainland China that there is such a
sharp contrast in South Korean and Taiwanese people’s
opinions toward Japan.
History: 2/28, 3.1.1919, economy/education
Geopolitics: Reunifications w/PRC/DPRK (33.5% VS
70.5%)
61. Further Study
Recent political changes
How will they affect public opinions toward Japan?
