Last month, the government released new guidelines to help educate residents of Japan on what to do in the event of a missile attack from North Korea.
The story sent ripples of fear throughout Japan and raised new questions abroad. Just how large a threat is North Korea to Japan? Are preparations like these commonplace? How has the relationship between these two countries changed over the years and where does it stand now?
Just this week, a piece run in Pyongyang’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper entitled “Japan's Reckless Act Which Drives Itself into Ruin” stated Japan “would be blanketed with radioactive clouds if a nuclear war [were to] occur on the Korean Peninsula.” This latest threat coming after the United States Air Force, along with those of South Korea and Japan, conducted a new round of training drills. It’s the most recent show of strength following some harsh rhetoric issued by U.S. President Donald J. Trump toward the isolated nation, which has continued to conduct missile launches and nuclear tests in spite of the condemnation of the United Nations.
The relationship between Japan and North Korea is a complicated one. Japan ruled the Korean peninsula for 35 years, from 1910 to 1945, and ever since North Korea was declared an independent state following World War II, relations have been tense as both sides try to resolve the issues of the past. Many Koreans were brought to Japan as forced laborers during the colonization, for which Japan has since apologized. Aside from the military incidents, past wrongdoings such as theabductions of 17 Japanese men and women in the 1970s and 1980s by North Korea haven’t helped improve things. Of those 17 missing individuals, only five have returned to Japan following an official apology from North Korea in 2002. Any further developments in the remaining 12 cases have halted.
There were also the failed Normalization Talks of the 1990s aimed at improving diplomatic relations. These talks have continued sporadically over the past two decades, circling the issues mentioned above over and over again.
To completely cut off ties between Japan and North Korea isn’t a straightforward option. First and foremost, there are many people from North Korea living in Japan and it’s no secret relations between Japanese and Koreans are often far from friendly at times. Koreans work in the country and their children attendNorth Korea-funded schools, many of which are suffering as their prefectures withdraw support in light of the recent escalation in political aggression. It’s a difficult dance for communities where Korean families may have lived for decades. There are also defectors, who came to live in Japan as refugees but may also have relatives back in North Korea.
In 1955, the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, orChongryon, was founded to act as an advocacy group/de facto embassy for Koreans living in Japan. With a headquarters in Tokyo, it aims to provide news, resources and events to keep them remain connected to their home country. An estimated 150,000 of the more than 600,000 Koreans living in Japan still support the North Korean regime led by Kim Jong Un. The Japanese government has taken steps to prevent the movement of money from Japan back to North Korea, especially from illegal enterprises run by both individuals and crime organizations.
Despite attempts to reach out from the Japanese government, North Korea continues to avoid furthering talks for any sort of diplomatic alliance between the two countries. As Japan remains allied to the U.S., while China and Russia are on the side of North Korea, residents of Japan are encouraged to stay informed and peaceful as the rest of the world watches with bated breath.
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