Do Koreans Really Dislike Japanese?

Question

I understand the issues that make Koreans (and Chinese) angry, but I want to know whether most citizens actually hate Japanese people?

Answer 1

Yep. I'd say quite a few Koreans hate Japanese. Maybe as much as 50~60%. That's a big number.

The feeling comes from a few different sources. It has a logical base in history. Japan skee-rewed them from about 1890 onward. (and at many times before that.)

Now, however, the kids are steeped in anti-Japanese brainwashing from an early age. Just a few years ago I remember being on the beach and having some Korean 1st-graders telling me, "America is OK, but I hate Japan." Now, teaching in a Korean middle school, the 3rd most often-asked question to me is, "Do you like Japan?"

Koreans claim that they are an emotional people politically. They say the peninsula suffers from "Naengbi" (Kettle) syndrome: the kettle (nation) comes to a boil (gets angry) quickly, but then cools after the steam is released.

But government-sponsored political actions (picketing, songs, etc.) affect the kids. Years later, they don't remember the reasons why they were told that Japan is 'bad.' They just remember that it is bad!

Answer 2

Unfortunatly I do believe there is quite a bit of racism in Korea towards the japanese. I believe this type of racism is pretty much baseless. It wasn't this generation of Japanese people that commited the atrocities that make the Korean people angry. Unfortunatly the current Japanese government isn't doing anything except making the situation worse. I've read recent articles of the japanese government basically denying crimes like coercing Korean and Chinese women into basically being sex slaves for Japanese troops. This shows extreme insensitivity on the behalf of the Japanese government, and I believe they should own up to what happened. That being said I can understand how some people might be angry with the Japanese government, however the blanket racism is still not justifiable. If the US government denied slavery ever happened, I wouldn't want to be the object of peoples hate just because I'm a white american.

One thing I'm glad of is that I'm educated on many of the atrocities that the US government has perpetrated in the past. Regardless of my governments stance, I can say as a person that things that happened weren't right, and any negative view of me based on my nationality would just be ignorance.

Answer 3

Koreans in general or the ones I know don't dislike the Japanese nowever some of the older ones who reminder the war and what the Japanese did to the korean people will hate them no matter what. Unfortally this is the same in other asians countries. However Japan it is a story of 2 halfs, while Japan does not teach in schools about that it did in WWII maybe out of a sense of guilt or shame, other asian countries do, but at the same time they don't teach how Japan after the war has changed to become a peace loving nation.

Answer 4

Koreans hate Japanese. That shouldn't be a surprise. They have every reason to do so.

You should also understand that most people that answered your question here are probably Korean-Americans, not Koreans. Go to www.yahoo.co.kr and ask the same question in Korean. See what kind of a reaction you get.

Answer 5

agree. Think most of the posters here are Korean American. But they still need to drive Japanese cars (unless you can be seen in a brrr... Korean car) and that penninsula depends too much o nthe strength of the Japanese economy. Opinions can be played on emotions but the bottom line $$$ never sways.
I think they should worry about a crazy dude up north. figure out thier own country before anything else. Hey, kinda like us over here!
the other side of it is How do you think Japanese feel?

Answer 6

Yes, most of the Koreans I met hate the japaneses with all their heart.

Answer 7

some koreans do hate japanese but some don't.
it's just because of the japanese government.
oh by the way, I'm korean

Answer 8

It may be because of the time the Japanese occupied Korea (1910 to 1945) where around 800,000 Koreans were killed. or it could go on way back in 1895 where Japanese agents killed Empress Myeongseong for countering Japanese interference in Korea and it was The Japanese minister to Korea, Miura Goro who orchestrated her assassination.

Answer 9

im korean and myself and most of my family do have somewhat a hostile feeling towards the japanese becuz of the annexation and colonial period in the early 1900s.

the one thing i really hate tho is people thinking i am japanese and that just really rubs me the wrong way and sometimes i will go as far as not buying anything from japan or eating japanese food becuz i feel i am betraying my culture for liking something japanese

Answer 10

Yes korean hate japanese but there have to choice to let japanese firm and people to work in korea. japanese power and economy is strong and korea depend on them.
mostly hate them in the heart