[EAI Working Paper] Intergenerational Analysis of Korea-Japan Relations 2: Security. The Korea-Japan Security Relationship as Viewed by the Youth Generation (MZ Generation)

Editor's Note

The East Asia Institute (EAI) has published a working paper by Cho Eun-il, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, as the second report in the "Intergenerational Analysis of Korea-Japan Relations: The Korea-Japan Relationship as Viewed by the MZ Generation." This analysis is based on the "Survey on Koreans' Perceptions of East Asia," which EAI has conducted annually with Japan's Genron NPO since 2013. Moving beyond the conventional notion that Koreans' perceptions of Japan are influenced by the constant of 'anti-Japan sentiment,' this paper focuses on how the MZ generation's perspective on Japan differs from other generations due to the characteristics of their cohort. The author analyzes that for the MZ generation, security issues are not a higher-level concern of national interest, but rather a matter of what the MZ generation, as individuals, perceives as fair.

※ The following is the introduction to this working paper. Please refer to the attached file above for the full text.

I. Introduction

2020 marked the 55th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan, following the "1965 Basic Treaty between South Korea and Japan." While it may be difficult for the youth generation (hereinafter referred to as the MZ generation) to imagine, half a century ago, despite being geographically closest neighbors, South Korea and Japan were in an "untact" relationship, lacking even formal diplomatic ties.[1] Perhaps for the MZ generation, who have not experienced the process of normalizing diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan, it is difficult to understand the political and social implications of the Basic Treaty. Furthermore, for the MZ generation, who evaluate others based on a self-centered perspective of 'me,' the process of normalizing diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan is an event they have not personally experienced. Additionally, the MZ generation, connected in real-time with the world through social networks, is free from the physical distance between nations. Therefore, for the MZ generation, the 55th anniversary of the normalization of Korea-Japan relations is merely one of many diplomatic events that can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

How, then, is the relationship between South Korea and Japan perceived by this MZ generation? The emergence of new generations brings about societal shifts, and the MZ generation is currently expanding its foundation within our society and will soon play a pivotal role across society as a whole. The MZ generation emphasizes and is accustomed to sharing individual happiness, and they consider expressing their beliefs on social media to be a natural behavior. This perception of the MZ generation is likely to lead them to "confirm their identity through differentiation from other generations" rather than inheriting the fixed notions of older generations (Heinz Budde 2014, p. 50). This is because issues that appear very important to older generations may be perceived by the MZ generation as "completely natural and not at all exciting" (Heinz Budde 2014, p. 50).

Based on these points, this paper aims to move beyond the conventional notion that Koreans' perceptions of Japan are influenced by the constant of 'anti-Japan sentiment' and focus on how the MZ generation's perspective on Japan differs from other generations due to the characteristics of their cohort. Given that the MZ generation prioritizes fair processes over outcomes and values personal experience in their foreign policy outlook, this study seeks to empirically analyze how these characteristics are projected onto Japan and the Korea-Japan relationship. As generational variables are increasingly drawing attention in recent security policy discussions (Bae Jin-seok 2018; Yoon Jeong-ho 2013; Park Won-ho 2012; Park Young-deuk, Lee Jae-mook 2016), this paper will focus on the Korea-Japan security relationship as viewed by the MZ generation. Specifically, using the "Survey on Koreans' Perceptions of East Asia," jointly conducted by the East Asia Institute (EAI) and Japan's Genron NPO, this study will conduct an empirical analysis based on descriptive statistics to examine how South Korea's MZ generation perceives Japan, what threat perceptions they express towards Japan, and how they assess the possibility of security cooperation with Japan during the period from 2013 to 2019. Through this analysis, it is expected to demonstrate that for the MZ generation, security issues are not a higher-level concern of national interest, but rather a matter of what the MZ generation, as individuals, perceives as fair.

[1] In this paper, the youth generation is defined identically to the MZ generation, encompassing Millennials born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, and Generation Z born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

■ Author: Cho Eun-ilSenior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Yonsei University. His research areas include international politics, international security, and arms control. He is currently conducting research on Japan-US relations, Korea-Japan relations, and Japan's security and defense policies. His recent publications include "Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy during the Abe Era" in *Korea and International Politics* (2020), "A Study on the Temporal Changes in South Korea's Arms Control Policy" in *Defense Policy Review* (2020, co-authored), "The Abe Administration's North Korea Policy" in *Korea-Japan Military Culture Studies* (2019), and "A Study on the US Missile Defense System Since the Bush Administration" in *National Strategy* (2019).

■ Planning and Editing: Oh Seung-hee Senior Research Fellow, EAI

Inquiries: +82-2-2277-1683 (ext. 202) seungheeoh@eai.or.kr

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