Social Divisions and International Reconciliation: Domestic Backlash against Foreign Policymaking between Japan and South Korea

Abstract

Abstract The so-called “Comfort Women” Agreement, ratified in December 2015, was intended to bring closure to South Korea's historic grievances against Japan regarding the issue of wartime sexual slavery. However, tensions were reignited when the process and content of the deal were heavily criticized, exacerbating the strained relations between the two countries, as well as divisions within them. Little attention has been given to what happened after the Asian Women's Fund was established in 1995, how bilateral relations shifted, and how the politics changed within South Korea and Japan. This study examines the domestic divisions and conflicts in Japan and South Korea following the introduction of institutions intended to achieve reconciliation. More specifically, it analyzes the factors underlying these divisions and suggests some solutions. In order to do so, this study studies the 1995 Asian Women's Fund and the 2015 “Comfort Women” Agreement, analyzing the implications of these cases in the domestic politics of and bilateral relationship between Japan and South Korea.