[Editorial] Japan’s militarization should not be condoned

Posted on : 2013-10-05 13:06 KST Modified on : 2013-10-05 13:06 KST

The US has sided with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about strengthening Japan’s military role, which could threaten peace and security in Northeast Asia and bring the region into turmoil.

The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and US met in Tokyo on Oct. 3 for the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee Meeting, also known as the “2+2” meeting.

“[Japan] is re-examining the legal basis for its security including the matter of exercising its right of collective self-defense, expanding its defense budget, reviewing its National Defense Program Guidelines, [and] strengthening its capability to defend its sovereign territory,” the two countries said in a joint statement that was issued after the meeting. “The United States welcomed these efforts and reiterated its commitment to collaborate closely with Japan.”

The substance of the joint statement is that the US is actively supporting Abe’s drive to turn Japan into a strong military power without repenting for its past actions.

Until now, the US has advocated the importance of strengthening the trilateral alliance between the US, South Korea, and Japan in Northeast Asia to check the rapid rise of China. It has conducted joint naval exercises with South Korea and Japan and has quietly urged the two countries to sign the military pact known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement and the Military Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement.

But the US accomplished little with this latest move, which was stymied by Japan’s anachronistic historical perspective. The Abe-led government is in denial about Japan’s wars of aggression, unwilling to resolve the issue of the comfort women, intent on making territorial claims to Dokdo, and prone to distorting historical facts in textbooks.

Put more clearly, South Korean public opinion has exerted a strong moderating force on Japan’s reckless refusal to own up to its historical mistakes.

In awareness of this, the US had also urged Japan to reconcile with South Korea over their historical interpretations.

It comes as a tremendous disappointment and indeed a shock that the US came forward in complete support of Japan’s position on collective self-defense despite the fact that Japan has made no changes whatsoever in its historical interpretation.

Even if we grant that the US’s decision to take Japan’s side on this issue was affected by urgent practical considerations such as the increasing threat of China and cuts in its defense budget, South Korea cannot accept this.

President Park Geun-hye made the South Korean position abundantly clear when she met with US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel a few days ago. “I am well aware of the need for cooperation between the US, South Korea, and Japan,” she said, “but it is unfortunate that Japan has not acted in good faith about these historical issues and in fact continues to rub salt in our wounds.”

The fact that the US issued this statement despite this must be taken as an indication that the US means to push forward its own agenda in disregard of the will of South Korea.

The focus of US security strategy for Northeast Asia appears to be finding effective ways to fill in the gaps in its alliances with Korea and Japan. But if that is so, it is unclear how effectively the alliance between the US, Korea, and Japan will function without Korea’s active support.

This is a critical moment, with the US explicitly showing that it regards the military security of the US and Japan and the trilateral alliance between the US, South Korea, and Japan as more important than the historical conflict between South Korea and Japan. And yet the posture of the South Korean government is hesitant and vacillating.

Without issuing an official reaction, the South Korean government has done little more than mumble about how Japan should abide by the principles of the “Peace Constitution” and a strictly defensive military strategy and take transparent action contributing to the peace and stability of the region.

The South Korean government needs to let the US and Japan know that it will not condone the militarization of Japan, and that there will be limitations on security cooperation between the three countries, until Japan corrects its stance toward history.

In addition, South Korea needs to explain that it will not be able to fully cooperate in military action to counter China, even for cooperation on North Korean policy, the needs of its economic relationships, and collective prosperity in Northeast Asia.

South Korea must recognize that is doomed to being dominated by the will of strong countries until it defines its position clearly and responds to the situation dispassionately. The time for such action is now.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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