April14,2014,1:56PMKST

Scholar: Time, and Olympics, Will Heal SeoulTokyo Ties

ByJonathan Cheng

YoshitakaShindo,Japansinternalaffairsminister,visitedtheYasukuniShrine,whichislinkedtoJapansmilitarist past,inJanuary.OnSaturday,hevisitedtheshrineagain.
Reuters

Overtheweekend,aJapanesecabinetministerdroppedbytheYasukuniShrine.AndonWednesday,the longsimmeringissueofsexualslaveryduringWorldWarIIwillcomebacktocenterstageasJapanese officialsheadtoSeoultodiscusstheexplosivehistoricalissue. SoasU.S.PresidentBarackObamapreparesforatriptoJapanandSouthKorealaterthismonth,how besttoeasetensionsbetweenWashingtonstwoclosestalliesintheregion? Putsimply,lettimedoitshealingwork,saysKentCalder,directoroftheEdwinO.ReischauerCenterfor EastAsianStudiesatJohnsHopkinsUniversitysSchoolofAdvancedInternationalStudiesin Washington. DuringastopoverinSeoulMonday,Mr.Calderarguedthat,asbadasthecurrentimpassebetweenTokyo andSeoulfeels,thingshavebeenmuchworse.And,ifhistoryisanyguide,relationsarelikelytoimprove

again. IfIhadtopredict,Idsaythatintwoyears,ratherthanfallingintoahistoricalspiralofworseningrelations, thingswillactuallygetbetterandbetter,saidMr.Calder,alongtimePrincetonUniversityprofessorand JapanexpertwhohastaughtatSeoulNationalUniversity. Whatwillchangeintwoyears?Tostart,thepromiseoftheOlympics,Mr.Caldersays.In2018,South KoreawillhosttheWinterOlympicsinPyeongchang,justasTokyospreparationsforthe2020Summer OlympicsinTokyokicksintohighgear. Iknowitsanoptimisticview,hesays.(Mr.CalderdidntaddressRussiashostingoftheSochiOlympics earlierthisyear,whichcameamidescalatedtensionsinUkraine.) TheheartofMr.Caldersargumentisthatthecurrentsourcesoftensionhistoricalandterritorialissues arenodifferentfromonesthathaveplaguedrelationsbetweenTokyoandSeoulforyears. Argumentsoverhowhistoricaleventsareportrayedintextbookshavelongebbedandflowed.And,in November1995,Mr.Caldernotes,regionalrelationshitalowwhenChinasthenPresidentJiangZemin andSouthKoreasthenPresidentKimYoungsamlashedouttogetheratJapanforitswartimebehavior. Ifthingsfeelworsenow,thatmaysimplybebecausetheInternethasamplifiedtheactionsandwordsof fringepoliticiansineachofthecountries,andhasallowedforminorityviewstogainmoreprominencethan theywouldotherwisehavehad,Mr.Calderargues. Butthattoowillpass.KoreaJapanrelationsarecyclical.Itgoesaroundandaround,Mr.Caldersaid. Mr.Calderiscarefulnottominimizetheobstacles.TheU.S.needstocontinuetogetthetwosidestothe sametable,asitdidinTheHaguelastmonth,bringingJapanesePrimeMinisterShinzoAbetogetherwith SouthKoreanPresidentParkGeunhyeforatrilateralsummitwithPresidentObama. Andthingsmayverywellgetworsebeforetheygetbetter,Mr.Caldersaid,tickingoffaspotentialthreatsa furtherhighlevelofficialvisittoYasukuni,oraSouthKoreanpresidentialvisittothedisputedLiancourt RocksthatSeoulcallsDokdoandJapanclaimsasTakeshima. Therearemanythingsbothsidescoulddotomakethingsworse,hesaid. AlsopopularonKoreaRealTimenow: SouthKoreanOnlineBuzz:BlackDayandJiSoyun AGalaxyofLoopholesGreetsSamsungsS5Launch

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