Do Diversionary Incentives Affect Korea-Japan Historical Disputes?

Abstract

Do diversionary incentives affect Korea-Japan historical disputes? We argue that Japanese political leaders use diversionary foreign policy, when public approval ratings are low and the government at the legislative level is weak. However, when the government is strong, approval ratings do not necessarily drive such diversionary behavior. We support our claims by testing the hypothesis using the data on Korea-Japan historical disputes and hostile actions between 1998 and 2016. The findings improve our understanding of the diversionary use of foreign policy in general and the effects of Japanese domestic politics on the historical disputes, specifically.