I hope Korea and Japan returns to status quo.

[GuardianofTheCosmicRealm]

I don't believe both countries will reconcile from their historical past in our lifetime, but this feud that is going on here could escalate into the KPOP industry, and we know who will be the victims: Japanese idols. At the moment, it doesn't seem the companies are being so much affected by this, but if it continue I fear there will be bad news. I don't want to see them suffer. So the korean and the japanese goverments should return for talks and go to status quo like before.

 

[Pyron]

I don't believe both countries will reconcile from their historical past in our lifetime, but this feud that is going on here could escalate into the KPOP industry, and we know who will be the victims: Japanese idols. At the moment, it doesn't seem the companies are being so much affected by this, but if this continue I fear there will be bad news. I don't want to see them suffer. So the korean and the japanese goverments should return for talks and go to status quo like before.

Well it's a hard problem. You can understand better if you look at the geopolitics. Bottom line is the bitter rivalry between both are not just the recent past from colonial times. People in power will manipulate both sides for their end using these fears caused by the specific geopolitics respectively.

Korea being in a peninsula and sandwiched between two giants make them anxious. They tend to be less aggressive versus China as they are in their immediate proverbial door, so being prone to make alliances to Chinese is more likely even thou their governments are incompatible. Japan being in an island is safe, but Korea was always seem as a Achilles' heels in terms of defense and also a necessity in case they need to project power (in the past). They can't overlook Korea for this fact. Korea is too close for comfort. Other countries with similar past reach reconciliation better because they don't have this type of geopolitical anxiety.

In theory, both countries have more to gain if they had a similar arrangement like France/Germany. Both countries are advanced democracies in the area and they could benefit more from it while being stronger versus bigger rivals like China and Russia. However, they will not shy away to go back to isolation as they have perceived decent internal market to fall back. They see each other as commercial rivals as well. Australia and other countries in the area could be seem as rival, but they aren't that close in terms of industry types. Korea and Japan have or had in recent past a lot of overlapping.

In the end of the day it's politicians playing the fears of the population for their own agendas and political longevity. They are benefiting from external influences like China and Russia that greatly benefit if both countries stay as bitter rivals.

I think a lot of Korean and Japanese politicians know this fact, but current politics around the world, not just these two, seem to be moving toward more fervent nationalism, self-reliance, and isolationism and these don't benefit mutual understanding. I think the masses are more understanding of these factors as well, but their voices are drowned by radical militants. You don't need to be the majority. You just need to shout the loudest and cause extremism behavior.

In the end it's quite a complex issue. It can be solved as we see really bitter European and African bitter rivalries being set aside for better relationships, but sadly in Asia in general they seem to be more stubborn or maybe these few cases in Europe and Africa may be the exception than the rule (you see bitter rivalries like Japan and Korea elsewhere in the world easily).

 

[niyin]

i can see the good meaning of ur words, but

but this feud that is going on here could escalate into the KPOP industry, and we know who will be the victims: Japanese idols

i get this is a music forum and so on, but can we not do this, at all?? what u said, the issue between s.korea and japan influence more the daily lives of people ostracized because of their korean heritage. japanse idols are not going to suffer from this, i assure u
i'd suggest you to read the zainichi koreans page on wkipedia or seach for documentaries and videos about it

 

[Po'etry]

zainichi koreans

What if my bias is zainichi korean?

Edit: Why is this thread in Current World News & Events ? I think it belongs in The Union if the OP involves idols.

Honestly, one of the reasons I want my bias to debut is to see what type of reactions he gets from both sides of the East Sea.

 

[Kami]

The Japanese are sick of South Korea's shenanigans and Moon Jaein's foreign policies are shambolic. He is nothing more but Kim Jong Un's mouthpiece so Japan has every right to consider South Korea as a national security threat and strip them away from the white list. Relations can only be amended if South Korea drop their victim mentality and start acting like a developed country.

At this moment not even the US can stop Japan and South Korea's trade spat so expect an escalation in tensions between the two countries.