07 April 2005 Blog Home : April 2005 : Permalink
it is easier to understand korean way of thinking in the following manner.While somewhat simplistic I think there is a considerable amount of truth to this. At least as to how the various parts see themselves in relation to each other. China certainly sees itself as the fount of all wisdom etc. just like an irritating older sibling. Japan is the pushy overachieving youngest always trying to get one up on its elders and Korea is the quiet one that doesn't say much but is prickly about perceived insults from its siblings. Of course a part of the problem is that Japan simply would not see itself as "younger" than Korea even though it is indeed so in most counts. For example there is considerable evidence that the Japanese Yamato kingdom - the real start of historical Japan - was partly or completely founded by refugees from the Paekche kingdom of Korea and Buddhism arrived in Korea some 300 years before it made its way to Japan, although contrariwise the Japanese Kana syllaberies were developed before Korea's Han'gul. However it is hard for anyone but the most ardent Koreaphile to deny that over the last century or so Japan has been the more dominant of the two - indeed it fought and won the Russo-Japanese war exactly 100 years ago primarily to confirm and extend its rule of Korea and Manchuria. In almost every respect Japan's short-lived overseas empire was a disaster for both Japan and the places it occupied and its legacy has helped poison national relations in the last 60 years.
china, korea and japan are 3 brothers under confucian value.
china, the oldest, korea, the 2nd and japan the 3rd. the older one should helps the younger, and be always respected, and be never disobeyed.
so, even though china has had intervened politically over most of 5000years of korean history, koreans dont complain because it is the older brother. even no hard feeling about the fact china helped the north during the korean war.
but japan, you know well what happend. furthermore sad and irritating thing is japan does not even think korea as the older brother and paid no respect.