South Korean public opinion poll on Japan-Japan relations: favorable opinion of Japan at record high, but harsh assessment of Japan policy

On the 19th of this month, the South Korean think tank "East Asia Institute" announced the results of a public opinion poll on relations with Japan. Since the survey began in 2013, the percentage of people who answered that their impression of Japan is "good" has
On the other hand, the number of negative evaluations of the South Korean government's efforts to improve Japan-South Korea relations exceeded the number of positive evaluations.
"It appears that they have strong concerns about historical issues," the institute said. The institute conducts surveys in both Japan and South Korea every year together with the Japanese think tank Genron NPO.
On 26th to 28th of last month, the results of a web survey on relations with Japan conducted among approximately 1,000 people in South Korea were released.
The total number of people who answered that they "have a bad impression" of China was 41.7%, up about 13 points from last year, and the highest number ever. On the other hand, only 42.5% of people answered that they "have a bad impression" or "generally have a bad impression" of China.
The survey has been conducted since 2013, but in 2020, when Japan-South Korea relations had deteriorated to the point where they were said to be at their "worst since the war," only 10% of people had a "good" impression of Japan.
The percentage of people who answered "yes" fell to 12.3% in the previous year. It has since started to rise, exceeding 40% for the first time this year. In South Korea, Yoon Seok-yeol, who is eager to improve Japan-South Korea relations, is running in the 2022 presidential election.
President Yoon has been actively working to improve relations with Japan as he declared, and in March 2023, the South Korean government announced a solution to the former forced labor lawsuit issue, which was the biggest issue between Japan and South Korea. This marked the beginning of a new era in Japan-South Korea relations.
The situation has improved dramatically, and now exchanges between not only the political world but also the economy and between private citizens are becoming more active. In the past, there was a boycott of Japanese products under the name of "No Japan," but now there is a boycott of Korean imported cars.
According to the association, the number of new Japanese car registrations in South Korea in the first half of this year was 12,197, up from the previous year despite a decline in overall sales of imported cars.
South Korea will have a consecutive holiday around the "Chuseok" (mid-autumn celebration) on the 17th of this month, which corresponds to the Obon festival in Japan.
In a survey on overseas travel intentions for the 2024 mid-autumn celebration holiday, released by the Incheon International Airport Corporation on the 13th ahead of the mid-autumn celebration, Japan was chosen as the 31st most popular travel destination.
This trend is the polar opposite of the "No Japan Movement" that was taking place in South Korea under the slogan "I won't go there, I won't buy it."
On the other hand, this survey also asked about the South Korean government's efforts to improve Japan-South Korea relations, and 34% of respondents said they "highly evaluate" or "generally evaluate" the government's efforts.
The Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, which reported on the survey results, said, "Public-sector exchanges have not produced any positive effects.
"However, it has been pointed out that the government still has to deal with historical issues," the report said. With the improvement in Japan-South Korea relations, "shuttle diplomacy," in which the leaders of Japan and South Korea visit each other, began in March last year.
This marks the first time in about 12 years that the two sides have held talks. On the 6th of this month, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited South Korea and met with President Yoon. The two leaders confirmed that they would continue to strengthen cooperation in the run-up to the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations next year.
The president said, "All of the consultation bodies between the two governments in various areas, including the economy and security, have been re-formed," and emphasized, "It is important to continue this positive momentum."
"Difficult issues remain in Japan-Japan relations," he said, adding, "I hope that both sides will continue to work together with a positive attitude so that we can continue to move forward toward an even brighter future."
In response, Prime Minister Kishida said, "Although there are various histories and circumstances between Japan and South Korea, it is extremely important that we cooperate with South Korea toward the future." Prime Minister Kishida will step down after this month's LDP presidential election.
However, this visit to South Korea, which was his last as prime minister, was aimed at creating an environment in which the good Japan-South Korea relations could be continued under the next administration.
As reflected in the results of this survey, there is a strong feeling of hostility towards the Yun administration's policy towards Japan in South Korea.
Negative views remain strong. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and others have taken issue with the Yoon administration's stance on historical issues, criticizing it as "humiliating diplomacy toward Japan" for placing too much emphasis on improving relations with Japan.
In the survey, 29.5% of respondents gave a positive evaluation to the Korean government's proposed solution to the former forced labor lawsuit issue, while 39.7% gave a negative evaluation.
Regarding the South Korean government's response to the registration of the Sado Island Gold Mine as a cultural heritage site, 59.7% of respondents gave a negative evaluation, while only 23.2% gave a positive evaluation.
At first, they opposed the World Heritage designation, claiming that miners had been working there, but the government ultimately accepted the designation. After discussions with the Korean side, an exhibition facility in Sado City was built to display the miners' work, including former members of the Korean peninsula.
A new exhibition on forced laborers has begun, but the South Korean opposition party has pointed out that it does not mention the "forced labor" system of mobilization. They are calling for the Japanese government to acknowledge that forced labor existed at the Jinshan mine, including by making it clearer.
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