Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin
There is a level of anti-Korean sentiment in Japan. I don`t really think it`s usually directed at the average Korean person - but more at statements and actions of those in positions of power... And of course, it seems like the media on both sides is good at making mountains out of mole hills.
In general, to be honest, most people don`t really care all that much. There are extremes where they hate Korea and Koreans, and the other end where they love Korea and anything Korean like crazy... But I would say the majority falls in the middle.
I actually want to point out that the example of Winter Sonata is actually not that far from the truth. Not that people thought of Korea as insignificant, but more that they didn`t think of it much to begin with. (There is a difference between thinking something isn`t worth thinking about, and just not having reason to think of it.) With the popularity of Winter Sonata and other Korean dramas - I think that it has driven home the fact that Korean people aren`t all that much different than Japanese. I think it is completely possible that there were people who didn`t think well of Korea but who changed their opinions on seeing popular media. Just looking at government and hearing reports of the extreme ends doesn`t give an accurate image of the real people.
I was personally more interested in Korea than in Japan when I started being interested in Asia - one of my childhood friends was from Korea, and I spent a fair chunk of my childhood at her house. I had planned to study in Japan and then study Korean in Korea - but, well, I fell in love and got married in Japan so that plan was never fulfilled.
Anyway, to answer the direct questions;
Very much so. The media, along with the Korean community in Japan, makes it impossible not to know.
Textbooks are generally fairly neutral - there were good intentions behind part of it, but it`s never good to do that sort of thing, etc... Mostly just the facts and figures are presented without a whole lot of opinion inserted. If there is a story representing it positively, there is one balancing it with the negative results of the colonization. I don`t really think there is anyone who thinks it was good, but I am sure there are plenty of people who think that it was partially good (in terms of modernizing Korea - such as rail systems, medicine, and education).
Korea is far too close to Japan for people to be oblivious of it`s culture and history. It`s probably the most popular holiday destination for Japanese tourists, and has a good reputation. Definitely not a feeling of "nothing there".
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as a Canadian from the eastern part of my country(French speaking part) the only thing I knew about Korea was the war in the 1950's, for the rest I've never been really interested in Korea probably because we don't hear much about it except for the crap guy from the North Korea, but for South Korea I don't know much I only know that if you call some Japanese "Korean" they don't look at you very pleasently that I can understand because when I went to Japan I've been taken for an American that I don't really appreciate because I am not and it means people only see a white guy speaking English so they think you're American
it's sad situation but it's like that. I would like to know more about Korea but I haven't find anyting that is making me interested enough to learn more about it, I was interested in China before but by being with some of them in real life I've started to not be too much interested by them, their way of living is not mine and don't feel in good with it. Japanese in another way I have not much trouble with it except that it's way too expensive there :slol