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South Korean demonstrators express their support for a nationwide boycott campaign against Japanese products in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on July 25.

A campaign to boycott Japanese products has been spreading among both progressive and conservative South Koreans in response to Japan’s recent economic retaliation measures.

In addition to efforts to amend ordinances and restrict private contracts with Japanese companies implicated in war crimes, local governments have been declaring halts to exchange with Japan and canceling field trips.

During a press conference in front of a statue of General Song Sang-hyeon in the Jeonpo neighborhood of Busan’s Busanjin district on July 25, around a dozen local civic groups representing a diverse spectrum of philosophies and political affiliations announced they were launching a “five ‘no’ campaign: no buying or selling Japanese products, no traveling, no riding, and no wearing.”

Participants called on others of all philosophies and political affiliations to join the boycott of Japanese products.

“It stands to reason that the whole country should unite and fight when it is under attack by a foreign power,” they said. “Japan has launched an economic invasion, and now it’s time for us to do what we can as citizens of the Republic of Korea.”

Busan civic groups hold a press conference supporting the nationwide boycott against Japanese products.

A push by local governments to suspend exchanges with Japan has also been gathering speed. After the city of Busan’s announcement that it would begin a full-scale re-examination of its exchange efforts with Japan, seven local governments in Gyeonggi Province – the cities of Suwon, Uijeongbu, Paju, Gwangmyeong, Yangju, Goyang, and Dongducheon – moved to either cancel or postpone their exchange schedules with sister cities in Japan.

Additionally, efforts are under way to amend ordinances to restrict local governments from signing private contracts with Japanese companies implicated in war crimes. Hong Myeong-hwan, a member of the Jeju Provincial Council, announced on July 25 that he planned to sponsor an ordinance bill restricting the signing of private contracts with war crime-implicated Japanese companies by the Jeju Province (Office of Education).

Cultural exchange between South Korea and Japan has taken a direct hit as well. The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage cancelled plans to hold an embarkation event at a festival at Izuhara Part in Tsushima on Aug. 3–4 involving a boat restored last October, which was used to carry Joseon Tongsinsa (goodwill mission) emissaries during the 17th to 19th centuries.

Plans for student learning activities and field trips to Japan are also being canceled. On July 25, the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education announced that it had canceled a Japan visit by the South Korea-Japan youth peace exchange group. The South Jeolla Office of Education previous sent notices to affiliated organizations and schools recommending that they refrain from official business trips and learning activities in Japan.

By Kim Kwang-soo, Busan correspondent, Ahn Kwan-ok, Gwangju correspondent, Hong Yong-duk, South Gyeonggi correspondent, Park Im-keun, North Jeolla correspondent, Huh Ho-joon, Jeju correspondent, and Lee Ju-hyeon, staff reporter

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