“What questions does this history pose to us today?”
Professor Park Hoon of the Department of History at Seoul National University
Reflecting on Today's Korea through Modern Japan

To Koreans, Japan is still a ‘close yet distant country.’
Although they are geographically the closest neighbors, the emotional gap between the two countries is not easily bridged due to the clash of memories of colonial rule and historical perceptions, the Dokdo issue, and the battle over responsibility for past events.
So how should we view Japan, and what attitude should we adopt toward it? In 2025, the 80th anniversary of liberation and the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, and with the potential for change in Korea-Japan relations beyond longstanding conflict and confrontation, Professor Park Hoon of the Department of History at Seoul National University has published "Modern Japanese History as Seen through Korean Eyes."

In this book, Professor Park Hoon does not simply criticize or emotionally approach modern Japan.
Instead, we read Japanese history based on reason and reflection, and look back on Korea's present and future within it.
He says.
"To live together as true neighbors, we need to go beyond superficial reconciliation and make the intellectual effort to learn from each other's history and reflect on ourselves within it." At a time when we must grapple with strategic choices within a complex international order, this book provides a humanistic compass for a deeper understanding of East Asian geopolitics.

In the 18th century, Japan had a large overall population, but more importantly, it had one of the highest urban population ratios in the world.
In addition to Edo (1 million people), Osaka (380,000 people), and Kyoto (340,000 people), which are known as the three major cities of Japan, the capitals of each domain, the castle towns, also had populations in the tens of thousands.
In the mid-18th century, Beijing's population was estimated at 1 million, London at 650,000, Paris at 550,000, and Seoul at less than 300,000.
Edo was one of the largest cities in the world.

After Perry left, Masahiro Abe pushed forward with reform policies.
First, the Naval School was opened in Nagasaki.
That's his kind of insight.
This is because I realized that the world has become one where you have to give up your country's lifeline just to catch a fish from the sea.
Dutch instructors were brought in to teach shipbuilding and navigation skills.
Regardless of whether it was the shogunate or the domain, they began to train future naval talents by enrolling excellent vassals.
Hiring talented foreigners at the highest possible wages to train Japanese disciples was the starting point of the development strategy later adopted by modern Japan.
Just 50 years later, in 1905, the Japanese Navy destroyed the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Battle of Tsushima (Russo-Japanese War).

--- From "Chapter 1: The Appearance of the Perry Fleet and the Shogunate's Response"

While the shogunate and samurai were overly proud and looked down on the emperor and his subjects as "weak, worldly people in long sleeves," Kyoto was slowly but steadily changing.
In 1858, when the shogunate dispatched Hotta Masayoshi to obtain imperial approval for a trade treaty, Emperor Komei was a young monarch of 27 years in his 12th year of reign.
It was rather natural that these young emperors and their subjects, who had grown up and learned in such an atmosphere, would take independent political action when faced with the national crisis of opening the ports.
It is not uncommon in history for the world to be shocked when changes that have accumulated over a long period of time, though not readily apparent, are revealed to the surface.

--- From "Chapter 2: The Emergence of the Emperor and the Rise of Anti-Shogunate Forces"

If Yoshida Shoin represents the radical idealism, fanatical nationalism, and potential aggression of the Meiji Restoration, Sakamoto Ryoma symbolizes astute realism, insight into international affairs, and gradual pacifism.
Shinzo Abe likes Shoin Yoshida, and SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son likes Ryoma Sakamoto.
Yoshida may have shone in the era of nationalism and imperialism, but the Japan of the future will have to look to Sakamoto for guidance.

Sakamoto Ryoma met Katsu Kaishu in Edo.
Among the shogunate officials, he was the greatest Western scholar of his time and the person who laid the foundation for the Japanese navy.
After meeting Katsu, Sakamoto's eyes were opened to the importance of the navy and trade.
I had a feeling that the master of the sea would conquer the world.
He followed in Katsu's footsteps and established Kameyama Satsu in Nagasaki.
It's an organization like a trading company.
Its goals were to recruit talent regardless of social status, promote trade, learn foreign languages, and develop Ezo (present-day Hokkaido).
This later received official support from the Tosa clan and developed into the Gaientai, a modern navy and trading company.

--- From "Chapter 3: The Overthrow of the Shogunate and the Success of the Meiji Restoration"

When Daewongun came to power in 1864, it was the year in which the shogunate and anti-shogunate factions (Satsuma and Choshu clans) began competing to enrich the country, strengthen its military, and modernize the country.
No matter who won, Japan's path was set.
With a rich and powerful country and Westernization.
And four years later, the Meiji Restoration broke out.
Daewongun was overthrown in 1873, after ten years in power.
It was a limitation that he could not become king himself.
Behind-the-scenes manipulation is always risky and has its limitations.
The Gojong and Min regimes that replaced him tried hard, but they did not have strong political leadership like that of Daewongun.
From then until the fall of Joseon, no other leader as powerful as him emerged.
For nearly 60 years, Joseon's political leadership was thoroughly divided, let alone its leadership.

The reason I dreamed was because of my complex.
A small-country complex toward the West and China, an autistic self-awareness that comes from being confined to the archipelago for 300 years due to national isolation, and a complex from the humiliation of the process of opening the country, etc.
However, if you dream often enough, it will become public opinion and eventually a movement to make it a reality will arise.
For that to happen, several conditions are necessary.
There must be a large number of people who cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality, and there must be a political reason and political power to exploit such people.
The Seikanron, which began to boil over immediately after the Meiji Restoration, emerged in precisely such an environment.
--- From "Chapter 4: The Shock from the West and the Response of Korea and Japan"

What exactly was ‘Colonial Korea’ to the Japanese Empire?
Colonial Korea was unique in many ways.
First of all, Joseon was a neighboring country of Japan.
Western countries also had colonies all over the world, but they could not do the same to the countries right next door.
(...) Moreover, Joseon was a country that maintained its own independent kingdom for over 1,000 years.
At the time, the Japanese insisted that Joseon had been a country subordinate to China since the Han Dynasty, but when we look at the fact that they referred to Joseon among themselves as a “millennium-old kingdom” and a “people with strong pride and no sense of superiority,” we can see that they secretly acknowledged that Joseon was an independent country.
Moreover, at the time of Korea's annexation, the Korean Empire, unlike other colonies, had a proper national flag (Taegeukgi), and many people accepted it.
If you look at the scene of a political rally at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, you can see people wearing hats and white clothes gathered under a large Taegeukgi (Korean flag), but they were already 'citizens' rather than 'people'.

--- From “Chapter 7 Imperialism and Democracy in Modern Japan”

The Chinese, who were thought to be naive, began to unite in response to Japan's provocations.
Japan gave the gift of 'nationalism' to the scattered grains of sand of the Chinese people.
Chiang Kai-shek quickly climbed on board.
(...) No matter how hard they tried, Japan could not completely control China.
The land was too vast and there were too many people.
Even in colonial Korea, even if they requisitioned rice bowls and mobilized Koreans as soldiers, it was like pouring water into a bottomless pit.
I was stuck in the mud and couldn't do anything.
Every country has times when it is confused and times when it appears weak.
You feel a temptation that seems like it could be easily subdued.
(...) Moreover, Japan's opponent at the time was China.
In 1941, the Japanese military expanded its front to the United States and Southeast Asia, but was unable to withdraw its troops from China for fear of a Chinese counterattack.
The Empire of Japan drowned in the huge swamp called China.

--- From "Chapter 8: The Rise of the Japanese Military and Militarism"

But why do Koreans keep demanding an apology?
First of all, there are probably not many Korean citizens who remember the fact of Japan's apology introduced above.
A bigger problem is the Japanese people's 'nonsense'.
The constantly spewing out ‘nonsense’ such as “Koreans changed their names because they wanted to”, “Japan did many good things during the colonial period”, and “Comfort women on the battlefield were a necessary system” instantly rendered the above ‘apology relay’ meaningless.
Moreover, the fact that those who made the 'reckless remarks' were not ordinary citizens but current ministers and influential politicians caused even more anger.
This may be why Koreans are skeptical of Japan's apology, saying it lacks sincerity.

--- From "Chapter 9: The Fall of the Empire of Japan and Postwar Japan-Korea Relations"