When will Japan's apology lead to reconciliation with South Korea?

Abstract

The issue of comfort women is a central conflict between Japan and South Korea. Japan has apologized in the past, but this apology did not lead to reconciliation between the two countries. Why do intergroup apologies occur when the social psychology literature shows that they rarely lead to forgiveness by the victim group? This study focuses on the public nature of intergroup apologies between nations and examines how the position of the US as an important third party affects their effectiveness. The results of a comparative experiment in Japan and Korea showed that the apology by the Japanese Prime Minister and the US position had little influence on forgiveness by Koreans and their attitudes toward the comfort women issue, while it had notable effects on reconciling Japanese attitudes. However, when it was suggested that the US supported Japan's position, Japanese attitudes hardened, although they showed willingness to enter a dialogue with Korea. For a Japanese apology to lead to reconciliation, the position of an important third party, the US, and its effects on Japanese attitudes must be considered.