President Moon Cannot Reach Compromise with Japan Because He Would Lose His Left Wing Base

Korea Times columnist Oh Young-jin believes that President Moon cannot back down from Japanese trade retaliation because he would lose his left wing base:

President Moon Jae-in has shown no sign that a compromise is an option in Japan’s embargo on key items that can halt Korea’s semiconductor making, the nation’s bread-and-butter industry.

Moon faces growing pressure from Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest chip maker for which Japanese technology is pivotal for production, and other industrialists who fear a greater impact if Tokyo increases sanctions. 

Several opinion leaders fault Moon for what they argue is his ham-fisted handling of the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling that ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to Koreans who were mobilized for materiel production during the Second World War. 

Moon could succumb to these pressures but only at the risk of turning his regime into a political zombie. And history shows the more he stands pat, the greater the chance the nation rallies around him. 

The issues with Japan ― compensation for forced laborers and comfort women, or sex slaves, under Japan’s imperial army ― are integral to the Moon regime’s foundation ― the liquidation of past ills.  (…….)

Moon learned a lesson the hard way when he worked for his mentor and friend, the late President Roh Moo-hyun. Roh alienated his support base by pushing for the free trade agreement with the U.S., long considered part of the conservative agenda. 

Korea Times

Notice the commonality here with South Korean leftists, working out deals with allies, the U.S. and Japan is bad, but a deal with North Korea, a regime committed to the ROK’s destruction, is a good thing.

Here is my favorite part of Mr. Oh’s article how he can’t explain why South Korea is not going after China the same way they are going after China:

I am often asked by foreigners why Korea is easily provoked by Japan while being more tolerant of China. For instance, China has retaliated against Korea for allowing the U.S. to station its anti-missile Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles on its soil.

Beijing stopped sending tourists to Korea and put pressure on Korean firms in China, having some pack up and leave for home. But there has been little public show of indignation. The sentiment is more of a concern than resentment shown on the fly to Japan for a slight provocation. 

I would say it is related to the unhappy memories of Japan’s occupation at the turn of the 20th century. But then, the Chinese supported North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War that killed or maimed millions of Koreans. And it also has been a key supporter keeping the North afloat since, standing in the way of unification. 

Another possible explanation is that Korea had long served as a midpoint transmitting advanced culture from China to Japan, an experience that induced its people to look down on Japan. Japan used to pay tribute to Korea. Maybe that piece of history is affecting Koreans’ collective consciousness. 

As I have long said on this site, China is responsible for more death and destruction on the Korean peninsula than Imperial Japan ever caused by their colonial occupation of the peninsula. However, China does not get the same treatment Japan gets because they will strongly respond.

Japan on the other hand has been an easy punching bag for ROK politicians for decades because they would not strongly respond. That has clearly changed now as President Moon has found out.