[EAI Working Paper] Analysis of Generational Differences in Korea-Japan Relations 3_History. The Issue of Japanese Military "Comfort Women" and the Youth Generation (MZ Generation)

Editor's Note

The East Asia Institute (EAI) has published a working paper by Yoon Seok-jeong, Research Professor at the Center for Japanese Studies, Korea National Diplomatic Academy. This paper is the third report analyzing the "Analysis of Generational Differences in Korea-Japan Relations: How the Youth Generation (MZ Generation) Views Korea-Japan Relations," based on the "Survey on Koreans' Perceptions of East Asia" that EAI has conducted annually with Genron NPO of Japan since 2013. This working paper analyzes the perceptions of the youth generation regarding the issue of Japanese military "comfort women." The MZ generation holds a negative view of the comfort women agreement because they believe it did not adequately reflect the opinions of the victims, who are the parties involved, and thus they are advocating for a renegotiation of the agreement. The author predicts that the MZ generation's interest in the issue of Japanese military "comfort women" will continue across various aspects of Korea-Japan relations, emphasizing that the fairness pursued by the MZ generation has become more important than ever.

※ The following is the introduction to this working paper. For the full text, please refer to the attached file above.

I. Introduction

From the outset of its term in 2013, the Park Geun-hye administration in South Korea showed a stark difference in stance with the Abe administration in Japan regarding the issue of Japanese military "comfort women," leading to severe conflict in Korea-Japan relations that lasted for over three years, to the extent that summit meetings could not be held. Despite the eventual agreement reached between the governments of South Korea and Japan on December 28, 2015, controversies arose regarding the content and process of the agreement, and a resolution to the issue remains elusive to this day. This study aims to analyze how the Millennial and Z generations, collectively known as the 'MZ generation' and corresponding to South Korea's 20s and 30s, perceive the issue of Japanese military "comfort women." The primary data source is the survey items related to the issue of Japanese military "comfort women" from the 'Survey on Koreans' Perceptions of East Asia' (2013-2019) conducted by the East Asia Institute (EAI).

In South Korean society, youth symbolize the present and the future. Looking back at modern Korean history, young people have been the main actors in nation-building, fighters for democratization, and creators of new culture, embodying the future based on their novelty. This can be described as the image of youth as beings with the potential to solve social challenges (Ju Eun-woo, 2004). Conversely, some analyses view Korean youth as beings who adapt to the external pressures of society, such as infinite competition (Kim Hong-joong, 2015). Regardless of the differing perspectives, both attempts seek to understand the present and future of Korean society through its youth.

Recently, the Millennial generation has garnered attention as a subject of discourse in South Korean society. The Millennial generation refers to those born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who grew up with the normalization of the internet and mobile devices in their daily lives and experienced economic stagnation and financial crises. Furthermore, there is the Z generation, a discourse referring to those born between the mid-to-late 1990s and after 2000. These Millennial and Z generations are considered to possess different tendencies from previous generations, such as strong individualism and progressive social awareness. South Korean society appears bewildered by the emergence of new generations, yet it also shows a willingness to listen to their voices. This, too, is an effort to grasp the current state of South Korean society and predict future changes by understanding the younger generations.

The reason this study, which deals with Korea-Japan relations, focuses on the Millennial and Z generations is the same. Examining the perceptions of South Korea's 20s and 30s regarding historical issues between Korea and Japan is essential for understanding the current state of Koreans' perceptions of Japan. Furthermore, it is an endeavor to forecast the future of Korea-Japan relations by understanding the perceptions of the generations that will lead South Korean society.

With this problem awareness, this study analyzes the perceptions and attitudes of the Korean MZ generation, focusing on the survey items related to the issue of Japanese military "comfort women" from the 'Survey on Koreans' Perceptions of East Asia' (2013-2019) conducted by EAI. Considering the context of Korean identity in relation to Japan, the views of the MZ generation on the issue of Japanese military "comfort women" may resemble those of other generations in South Korean society. On the other hand, taking into account the unique characteristics of the MZ generation, there is also a possibility that distinct features of this generation, differentiating them from other generations, exist regarding the issue of Japanese military "comfort women."

Specifically, this study focuses on two main points. First, the MZ generation became interested in this issue amidst the diplomatic conflict between South Korea and Japan surrounding the issue of Japanese military "comfort women," and after the 2015 comfort women agreement, they have demanded a resolution based on procedural fairness. Other generations, excluding the MZ generation, showed a similar tendency in this regard. Second, the MZ generation exhibits distinct characteristics compared to other generations in terms of their preference for renegotiating the comfort women agreement and the persistence of their interest in the issue. The MZ generation prefers renegotiating the comfort women agreement more than other generations, with the Z generation being the most vocal proponents of renegotiation. Furthermore, during the period of Japan's export restrictions against South Korea, while other generations prioritized resolving the trade dispute, the MZ generation placed the highest importance on resolving the issue of Japanese military "comfort women," thus continuously demanding a resolution to the problem.

This study is structured as follows. Chapter II reviews the theories on the political orientations of generations, focusing on the aging effect, cohort effect, and period effect. Chapter III analyzes the results of the survey items related to the issue of Japanese military "comfort women" for the age groups 19-29 and 30-39, which fall within the MZ generation. It will clarify how the Millennial generation (ages 19-29) perceived the diplomatic conflict between South Korea and Japan surrounding the issue of Japanese military "comfort women" from 2013 to 2015. Then, by analyzing the responses of the 19-29 and 30-39 age groups to the survey items related to the comfort women agreement, which began in 2016, it will examine the MZ generation's stance on the agreement. Alongside the analysis of public opinion survey results, a literature review will be conducted to examine the background and context of the survey findings. Chapter IV will summarize the main points of the study and discuss its implications for historical issues between South Korea and Japan.

■ Author: Yoon Seok-jeongResearch Professor at the Center for Japanese Studies, Korea National Diplomatic Academy. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Keio University, Japan. His main research areas are Korea-Japan relations and Japanese foreign policy. His recent publications include "The 1965 System and the Abe Administration's Efforts to Normalize Korea-Japan Relations: Focusing on the Cases of the December 28 Agreement and the Forced Labor Issue" (2020), "The Abe Administration's Reinterpretation of the Constitutional Right to Collective Self-Defense and Japanese Party Politics: Dynamics of Party Politics Surrounding the July 1 Cabinet Decision" (co-authored, International and Area Studies, 2019), and "Korea-Japan Relations in the 1990s and the Korea-Japan Joint Declaration: Cooperation and Institutionalization Attempts in the Post-Cold War Era Amidst Structural Changes in Korea-Japan Relations" (The Journal of Japanese Studies, 2019).

■ Planning and Editing: Oh Seung-heeSenior Researcher, EAI

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

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