Sept. 10, 2020 — Koreans and Filipinos in TikTok War (Chosun Ilbo)
“The anti-Korean hashtag #CancelKorea is trending in the Philippines after a storm in a teacup involving a tattoo and a local ‘influencer.'”
Sept. 9, 2020 — Updates on South Korea-Japan relations
Over the summer, there have been several developments on historical issues affecting South Korea-Japan relations. From Japanese UNESCO sites to wartime workers, here are a selection of stories providing an overview of recent changes. Chosunilbo: “Cheong Wa Dae is bristling…
Sept. 2, 2020 — Yoshihide Suga to be Japan’s Next Prime Minister (Dong-A Ilbo)
In late August, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced he would be stepping down due to medical reasons. Abe’s resignation has led some to question how his successor would handle sensitive issues such as visits to the Yasukuni Shrine and…
Sept. 3, 2015 – China’s Military Parade: range of media coverage
People’s Daily: “Four Important Points of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Speech for V-Day Parade” and “Highlights of V-Day Commemoration” The Guardian: “China military parade commemorates second world war victory – as it happened” Daily Mail: “12,000 troops, hundreds of tanks……
Sept. 2, 2015 – “POW’s Suffering Didn’t End When World War II Did” (wunc.org)
“In 1945 President Harry Truman declared Sept. 2 as Victory Over Japan Day. Japan surrendered aboard the USS Missouri. It was the official end of World War II. But the suffering wasn’t over for Henry Chamberlain, who had been captured on…
Sept. 2, 2015 – “‘Indescribable’: Witness to the end of WWII” (CNN)
“On the morning of September 2, 1945, Lt. Cmdr. James Starnes stood on the deck of the USS Missouri, surrounded by his fellow seamen, hundreds of Allied warships and the blue waters of Tokyo Bay.”
August 15, 2015 – “S. Korean president mutes criticism against Abe statement” (Asahi)
“South Korean President Park Geun-Hye muted her criticism of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s war anniversary statement, mindful that she needs to improve her country’s relations with Japan.”
August 14, 2015 – “Japan’s Abe Stops Short of Direct Apology Over World War II” (WSJ)
“Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stopped short of offering an apology in his own words for Japan’s actions in World War II, issuing a 70th-anniversary statement that mixed remorse with some defiant messages.”
August 9, 2015 – “Nagasaki anniversary: 86-year-old survivor reveals scars” (Hindustan Times)
“Struggling a bit with a left arm that has never straightened out, Sumiteru Taniguchi slowly peeled the undershirt off his frail 86-year-old body to show two visitors his scars from the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki.”
August 10, 2015 – “Abe war anniversary statement to include terms ‘apology’ and ‘aggression’: NHK” (Japan Times)
“A draft of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II includes all key words used in the 1995 Murayama statement, including “apology” and “aggression,” NHK reported Monday.”
August 8, 2015 – “Nebraskans for Peace reflect on 70th anniversary of atomic bombings” (JournalStar)
It was the 32nd annual lantern float Nebraskans for Peace has held since a group of American peace workers, including one from Nebraskans for Peace, traveled to Japan in 1981 to discuss with the Japanese the dangers of the nuclear…
August 9, 2015 – Nagasaki marks 70th anniversary of atomic bombing (Telegraph UK)
“As ageing survivors, the relatives of victims and others remember the devastating blast that took place on Aug 9, 1945, Japan’s PM calls for an end to nuclear weapons”
August 6, 2015 – Hiroshima marks 70 years since atomic bomb (BBC)
A ceremony, attended by PM Shinzo Abe, was held at Hiroshima’s memorial park before thousands of lanterns are released on the city’s Motoyasu river.
April 15, 2015 – “After 70 years, over 40 percent of Germans want closure on Nazi past” (Reuters)
“Seventy years after the end of World War Two, some 42 percent of Germans want to draw a line under the Nazi past, a poll showed on Wednesday, as the nation’s complex legacy continues to shape its international role and…
April 15, 2015 – “For the U.S. and Japan, legacy of WWII is still painful” (Pew Research Center)
“Nearly a third of Americans cite World War II as the event that stands out when they think about relations between the United States and Japan, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. By contrast, only 17%…
April 14, 2015 – “How Strong Is the U.S.-Japan Relationship?” (Foreign Policy)
“The friendship between Washington and Tokyo has come a long way in 70 years, but a rising China could throw a wrench in the works.”
April 7, 2015 – “Pew: Japan And U.S. Respect Each Other And Distrust China” (NPR)
“Today, most Americans say they’re pleased with the state of U.S.-Japan relations. In a new survey by the Pew Research Center, more than 8 in 10 Americans said they prefer that the two nations remain close or get closer. Three-quarters…
April 15, 2015 – “History tops agenda at Kono’s meeting with Li” (Japan Times)
“Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono on Tuesday and praised him for the “courage and sense of responsibility” he showed as a politician in addressing history when he was in the government in 1993.”
April 15, 2015 – “South Korea, Japan hold first ‘two plus two’ talks in five years” (Japan Times)
“South Korea and Japan held their first high-level security talks in more than five years on Tuesday, despite simmering tensions over territorial and historical disputes. Resuming the “two plus two” talks, which include the two nations’ foreign and defense officials,…
April 14, 2015 – “China welcomes Japan official who apologised over `comfort women`” (Zeenews India)
“Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday praised the former Japanese government official who issued a landmark apology over the wartime sexual slavery of Asian women, hailing his “bravery” in facing history. Li greeted a trade delegation led by Yohei Kono, who…
April 14, 2015 – “POINT OF VIEW: Despite frustrations, Japan must make effort to end negative spiral” (Asahi)
By Matsui Ken: “…Japan must now look calmly at its relations with neighboring nations that have worsened in recent years and make tenacious efforts to end its negative spiral.”
April 14, 2015 – “Survey: 74% view past apologies to Asian neighbors as ‘appropriate'” (Asahi)
Asahi survey found: -74% of respondents regard the statements issued on the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the end of World War II as “appropriate.” -Those who replied that the expressions are “appropriate” represented the view of more than 70…
April 14, 2015 – “Taiwan says remembering end of WWII won’t hurt ties with Japan” (Today)
“President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday that he does not think Taiwan’s plan to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II will undermine the island’s relationship with Japan.”
April 14, 2015 – “Veterans to attend Taiwan military parade marking 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat” (South China Morning Post)
“Taiwan said today that hundreds of veterans who participated in the bloody battles during the second Sino-Japanese War will be invited to the island’s first military parade marking the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in 1945. A total of 67…