<W commentary> Era of "anti-Japan" over? Korea's Changing View of Japan

On February 18th, the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation "Newspaper Communications Research Institute" announced the results of a poll conducted in six countries around the world in November and December last year, and it was found that South Korea's favorable impression of Japan reached a record high. It is pointed out that anti-Japan sentiment rekindled in South Korea following the Japanese government's tightening of export control measures against South Korea in 2019, and the associated boycott of Japanese products has recently subsided. One in three foreign visitors to Japan in January was found to be Korean. In addition, anti-Japanese films, which once contributed greatly to increasing box office revenues in the Korean film industry, are said to have continued to slump in recent years. I wonder if the era of 'anti-Japan support' in South Korea is over.

In the public opinion poll by the aforementioned newspaper communication survey, 39.9% of South Koreans answered that they had a favorable impression of Japan, an increase of 8.7 percentage points from the previous survey conducted in November-December 2021. It was also the highest since the survey began in 2015. The survey was conducted by phone, interview, and online with about 1,000 people in each of the six countries of South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Thailand.

The survey panel cited "an increase in the number of visitors to Japan and signs of restoration in Japan-South Korea relations following the change of government (in South Korea)" as factors for the rise in South Korea's favorable impression of Japan.

In South Korea, the movie "THE FIRST SLAM DUNK", which was a big hit in Japan, began to be released last month, and it has become popular with over 2.5 million viewers. As for the number of mobilization of Japanese animation movies in Korea, it is the third highest ever (as of February 10th), following "Your name."

In South Korea, a translated version of the manga "Slam Dunk" was released in December 1992, followed by a complete version in 2001 and a redesigned version in 2018. The cumulative circulation of the series exceeded 15 million copies, and it became very popular. The number of people who read the same work and started playing basketball has also increased rapidly. Balls and shoes also sold like hotcakes. The famous lines of the characters, such as "I just need to add my left hand" and "I want to play basketball", are burned into the minds of people in their 30s and 40s who once read the original work. In addition, Kim Eun-jung, who participated in the Korean women's curling team at the Beijing Winter Olympics last year, is nicknamed "glasses senpai" because she wears unique glasses during the competition. It comes from Kiminobu Kogure, also known as "Megane-kun" in "Slam Dunk". The reason why the nickname 'Megane Senpai' has spread widely is probably due to the work 'Slam Dunk' was familiar in Korea.

It is said that the released movie "THE FIRST SLAM DUNK" is attracting a lot of attention, especially among those in their 30s and 40s who were students at the time the original manga was published. "It's like I got on a time machine and went back to my school days," said a nostalgic voice.

On the other hand, in South Korea, the movie "Hero" is based on the Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) who assassinated Hirobumi Ito, the first supreme governor of Korea and the first prime minister of Japan. is also open to the public, but the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported, "Although it has been nearly two months since its release, it has still not exceeded the break-even point (3.4 million people)." Most of the old movies that set Japan as the enemy, such as "Battle Ocean" and "Assassination", made big box office profits, but anti-Japanese movies have been sluggish since last summer.

In July 2019, anti-Japanese sentiment surged in South Korea after the Japanese government tightened export controls to South Korea. Under the name of "No Japan Movement", it spread all over South Korea with the slogan "Don't buy, don't sell, don't go." As a result of the boycott movement, beer made by Japanese manufacturers temporarily disappeared from shelves at convenience stores and other places, and Japanese brand stores in South Korea saw fewer customers. Travel products are no exception, and the number of people refraining from traveling to Japan is rapidly increasing. At airports across Japan, the number of flights to and from South Korea has been reduced, and flights have been suspended one after another. However, every convenience store now sells 3-4 types of Japanese beers.

The number of Koreans visiting Japan is also increasing. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, of the 1.497 million foreigners who visited Japan last month, South Koreans accounted for 565,000, making up 37.7% of the total. The bureau explained, "Japan's (COVID-19) relaxation of border measures, the marketing of travel products by South Korean travel agencies, and the Lunar New Year holiday in South Korea have all contributed to the favorable winds."

In South Korea, President Yoon Seo-gyeol, who took office in May last year, publicly announced the improvement of relations with Japan. Communication is taking place. In the past, in South Korean politics, shouting 'anti-Japan' could gain a certain amount of support from voters, but there is no response like in the past. Some South Korean media outlets have pointed out that "politically created public sentiment has expired."