What Kind of Feelings Do Koreans Have Toward Japan?

 

What Kind of Feelings Do Koreans Have Toward Japan?

As an ordinary Korean, I have two opposite feelings toward Japan. In general, Koreans hold two types of feelings. One is historically rooted, shaped by what we have learned from school and society for a long time. The other comes from the fact that Japan is our closest neighbor.

The first feeling is the one we inherited from our parents and society, rooted in the suffering of our grandparents during the Japanese colonial period. This has led many Koreans to see Japan as a rival we must overcome, sometimes without any specific reason. In particular, technology and sports often feel like battlefields. To us, these are not just games—they are wars we cannot afford to lose, much like the historic rivalry between England and France.

For example, the semiconductor industry is one of the most remarkable areas where we feel we have overcome challenges and achieved a sense of victory. About 30 years ago, Samsung was only a subcontractor for Sony. I remember that in 1996, the chairman of the Sony Group visited Korea alone to secure contracts for memory chips that would accelerate the graphics performance of the PlayStation 2. After that, Korean technology spread all over the world, giving us a strong sense of pride.

The second feeling comes from the fact that Japan is our closest neighbor. It is easy and affordable for Koreans to travel there. Plane tickets are cheap, and travel time is short. For some people living in provincial cities, traveling to Japan can even be cheaper than visiting Seoul or Jeju Island. Moreover, Japan has a lifestyle quite similar to Korea, since we share a long history. Everyday Japanese food also feels familiar to us. As a result, Koreans often choose to travel to Japan and spend time there.