Chosun Ilbo: Korea Labels Japan ‘Neighbor’ Not ‘Partner’ Global Times: South Korea’s defense white paper strikes a pragmatic tone South China Morning Post: South Korea affirms cool Japan relations, warm China ties in defence white paper Korean Herald: Seoul says…
“Metallic reproductions of paper cranes folded by atomic bombing victim Sadako Sasaki are being developed as durable symbols of peace for distribution around the world.” “A descendant of Sadako Sasaki, a victim of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima known for her…
Asahi Shimbun: A Seoul court will reopen proceedings in a lawsuit by former “comfort women” seeking a combined 3 billion won (280 million yen, or $2.7 million) from the Japanese government in compensation for their ordeal. Asahi Shimbun: A South…
“The globally popular US streaming platform Netflix announced its plans to adapt the Chinese literature classic Water Margin on Friday. Netflix called the book one of the “the greatest classic novels of Chinese literature” on Twitter”
“A former kamikaze pilot is sharing his story with a German audience for the first time 75 years after his suicide mission was unexpectedly called off in the closing days of World War II.”
Dong-a Ilbo: “U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had the first phone conversation at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. In this 15-minute conversation, they pushed back against China citing the U.S.-Japan security treaty and relations between South…
“Japanese government-linked research institute Riken on Thursday handed over remains found after the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima to the western Japan city. The remains, including seven bone fragments and bones in powder form, were apparently collected by a research…
Kyodo News: “South Korean President Moon Jae In wants to mend relations with Japan that have been frayed by a dispute over wartime labor, Seoul’s spy chief told Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday.” Chosun Ilbo: “National Intelligence Service…
“The U.S. military landed on the island at the end of WWII on Feb. 19, 1945. Japanese military forces fought the Americans for more than a month, but the island became occupied by the U.S. About 21,900 Japanese soldiers and…
“Families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea have called for U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to fulfill the promises made by incumbent President Donald Trump in realizing the return of their loved ones.”
‘ In the early 1930s, the Japanese government sent about 320,000 people to Manchukuo – officially known as Manchuria. Most of them served in the military or as bureaucrats, along with businessmen and families from rural parts of Japan who…
The Korea Herald: “A Japanese diplomat arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with his South Korean counterparts amid a prolonged row between the two countries over Tokyo’s wartime forced labor and export curbs.” The Korea Herald: “The Ministry of…
The Asahi Shimbun: Paris-based filmmaker Kenichi Watanabe completed a documentary on nuclear radiation in time for the 10th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear plant accident in March. The film, titled “Notre ami l’atome–Un siecle de radioactivite” (Our friend the atom–A…
Korean boy band BTS makes controversial remarks over Korean War: Chosun Ilbo: “Chinese online warriors are peeved at remarks by a member of super boy band Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS, at an award ceremony promoting Korean-American relations.” The…
Japan Times: “Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent a ritual offering Saturday to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, a controversial war-linked shrine that Asian neighbors view as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism.” US News: “Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has sent an…
Japan Times: “Nothing makes for a sales hook like an anniversary. And as this year marks 75 years since the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the English books market responded with nearly a dozen histories, treatises,…
Yahoo: “China sought to bolster its claims to the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea on Saturday by opening an online “museum” of newspaper clippings and other items related to the issue.” Japan Times: “The Chinese Foreign Ministry has lambasted…
Coverage over the recent unveiling of a statue commemorating ‘comfort women’ in Berlin: DW Akademie: “A Korean citizens’ group is aiming to raise awareness of women forced to work in military brothels with a new memorial. But Japan has said…
“Hundreds of works of art created by Japanese prisoners of war and civilian internees detained in Australia and New Zealand during World War II have been studied for the very first time by academics, having been “entirely ignored” by scholars…
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…
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…
“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.”
“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.”