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How would America react if Japan suddenly attacked South Korea?

Rachel Tackett Aug 16, 2013
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JK war

Here at RocketNews24 we have a major soft spot for Japanese culture and its quirks. But there’s no denying that the country has a nasty habit of glossing over controversial moments in its history. This has led to some long-lasting tension between Japan and its neighbors, namely China and South Korea.

This week Japan celebrates the end of World War II. At the same time, Korea takes a different angle on the times and celebrates the end of Japan’s colonization and subjugation of their country. This anti-Japan sentiment remains rooted in many aspects of Koreans’ psyche, and led to the creation of a certain documentary which aired on the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) last Sunday, August 11. The program was titled The Archipelago’s Perilous Night and posed the questions, “What would America do if Japan suddenly attacked South Korea? Who would they aid?” Korean Internet users were quick to respond with their own speculations.

Japan as a whole likes to pretend that many of its amoral actions, particularly war crimes, are really just misunderstandings. Unsurprisingly, this has caused a great deal of resentment and distrust to brew in the hearts of many South Koreans, who hate the Japanese for occupying their country during WWII. And so, it’s unsurprising that the harsh words of some right-wing Japanese politicians have caused some Koreans to worry about the prospects of another war. They say that even if the political hate speech is all overblown to appeal to far-right voters, it could still have some influence on the impressionable youth and lead to a future attack.

Many Korean Netizens who watched the broadcast were resigned to the idea that America would support Japan if a warlike situation arose. “America would obviously take Japan’s side over Korea’s,” one commenter responded. “America is the type of country that would justify the movement as a warning against China,” tweeted another.

Not everyone agreed, however. Many commenters acknowledged that in spite of all the mutual hatred, there was still no reason for Japan to start a war. “They’d make the entire world their enemy. China, in particular, would jump at any such chance to attack them.” Another Korean suggested, that Japan has no real reason to attack the country and so “America would be on our side.”

Amidst all of the contrasting opinions, one Korean commenter stood out for their unique perspective, turning the argument around. They wrote:

“I saw the documentary and felt that it really hit the mark regarding the state of affairs in our own country. Before long, Korea will face an encounter. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Future prospects are bleak. If society cannot find a way to solve these problems, our young people will turn to war as a way to reset the system.”

When Japanese net users caught wind of this debate, they reacted with what can only be described as a somewhat haughty sense of certainty. “There’s no advantage in striking South Korea,” was the sentiment of many. Some did insist that Japan had fair cause to attack, quoting the dispute over the Liancourt Rocks, known as Tokto by the Koreans and Takeshima by the Japanese. In any case, this hypothetical attack does not actually appear to be forthcoming. As one clever commenter put it, “Forget war. How’s your electrical situation?”

Source: Military38 (Japanese)
Top image: Wikipedia