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No. 212 Japan-Korea Relations and the Tokdo/Takeshima Dispute

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No. 212 Japan-Korea Relations and the Tokdo/Takeshima Dispute The RSIS Working Paper series presents papers in a preliminary form and serves to stimulate comment and discussion. The views expressed are entirely the author’s own and not that of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. If you have any comments, please send them to the following email address: [email protected]. Unsubscribing If you no longer want to receive RSIS Working Papers, please click on “Unsubscribe.” to be removed from the list. No. 212 Japan-Korea Relations and the Tokdo/Takeshima Dispute: The Interplay of Nationalism and Natural Resources Ralf Emmers S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Singapore 10 November 2010 About RSIS The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) was established in January 2007 as an autonomous School within the Nanyang Technological University. RSIS’ mission is to be a leading research and graduate teaching institution in strategic and international affairs in the Asia-Pacific. To accomplish this mission, RSIS will: • Provide a rigorous professional graduate education in international affairs with a strong practical and area emphasis • Conduct policy-relevant research in national security, defence and strategic studies, diplomacy and international relations • Collaborate with like-minded schools of international affairs to form a global network of excellence Graduate Training in International Affairs RSIS offers an exacting graduate education in international affairs, taught by an international faculty of leading thinkers and practitioners. The teaching programme consists of the Master of Science (MSc) degrees in Strategic Studies, International Relations, International Political Economy and Asian Studies as well as The Nanyang MBA (International Studies) offered jointly with the Nanyang Business School. The graduate teaching is distinguished by their focus on the Asia-Pacific region, the professional practice of international affairs and the cultivation of academic depth. Over 150 students, the majority from abroad, are enrolled with the School. A small and select Ph.D. programme caters to students whose interests match those of specific faculty members. Research Research at RSIS is conducted by five constituent Institutes and Centres: the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), the Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies, and the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiations (TFCTN). The focus of research is on issues relating to the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and their implications for Singapore and other countries in the region. The School has three professorships that bring distinguished scholars and practitioners to teach and do research at the School. They are the S. Rajaratnam Professorship in Strategic Studies, the Ngee Ann Kongsi Professorship in International Relations, and the NTUC Professorship in International Economic Relations. International Collaboration Collaboration with other Professional Schools of international affairs to form a global network of excellence is a RSIS priority. RSIS will initiate links with other like- minded schools so as to enrich its research and teaching activities as well as adopt the best practices of successful schools. i ABSTRACT The Tokdo/Takeshima dispute has remained a major irritant in Japan-Korea relations, preventing a deepening of diplomatic ties. This paper claims that the dynamics of the dispute have been informed by nationalism and access to natural resources. It argues that it is precisely the interplay of these considerations that can lead to the rapid escalation of a maritime territorial dispute or conversely to a diffusion of tensions in bilateral relations. Nationalism and the quest for natural resources have, in the context of the Tokdo/Takeshima issue, been locked in a convergent and escalating relationship. Nationalistic sentiments and the imperative to guarantee access to natural resources have reinforced each other in fuelling the dispute. The purpose of this paper is therefore to offer a better understanding of how nationalism and resources influence and interplay in the Tokdo/Takeshima dispute and to identify pathways to cooperation. ***************************** Ralf Emmers is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Multilateralism and Regionalism Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Dr. Emmers is the author of Geopolitics and Maritime Territorial Disputes in East Asia (Routledge, 2010), Non- Traditional Security in the Asia-Pacific: The Dynamics of Securitization (Marshall Cavendish, 2004) and Cooperative Security and the Balance of Power in ASEAN and the ARF (RoutledgeCurzon, 2003). He is the co-editor of Security and International Politics in the South China Sea: Towards a Co-operative Management Regime (Routledge, 2009), Order and Security in Southeast Asia: Essays in Memory of Michael Leifer (Routledge, 2006), Understanding Non-Traditional Security in Asia: Dilemmas in Securitization (Ashgate, 2006), and Non-Traditional Security in Asia: Trends and Issues (Marshall Cavendish, 2006). Additionally, he has published articles in peer-reviewed journals such as The Pacific Review, Asian Survey, Australian Journal of International Affairs, Asian Security, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Contemporary Politics, Political Science, Pointer and Dialogue + Cooperation as well as numerous book chapters in edited volumes. ii Japan-Korea Relations and the Tokdo/Takeshima Dispute: The Interplay of Nationalism and Natural Resources Introduction Despite decades of relatively peaceful relations and growing economic inter- dependence between Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), the two countries have failed to establish strong diplomatic ties. Even shared interests in maintaining the U.S. presence in the region, managing the rise of China and uniting against North Korea’s nuclear threat have not fully eradicated the memories of their turbulent past. The poor relationship is the result of the historical animosity stemming from the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910 until 1945. While Koreans often carry a strong sense of resentment for the past actions of the Japanese, the latter have arguably demonstrated “a superiority complex towards Korea inherent in the collective mindsets of former colonizers” ( Cha, 2000: 313). Such emotional tension periodically takes on physical manifestation in the form of the countries’ territorial dispute over the Tokdo or Takeshima Islands, as they are respectively known to the Koreans and the Japanese.1 Both Korea and Japan consider the islands to be part of their own territory, making the dispute seemingly intractable and concession next to impossible. The Tokdo or Takeshima Islands are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan or the East Sea as it is called in Korea. The disputed islands are respectively 217 km and 250 km from mainland Korea and Japan and located approximately 87 km from Korea’s Ullung Island and 157 km from Japan’s Ori Island (Figure 1). The islets would appear to be of little initial value to either country, as the contested territory consists of two volcanic rock formations and 30-odd reefs, with total land mass amounting to one- fourteenth of a square mile. Widely considered uninhabitable, a Korean fisherman and his wife are, apart from stationed ROK Coast Guard patrols, the sole residents of the islands. The ROK Coast Guard is patrolling the waters around the islets to reinforce 1 The Korean name of the islands is romanized either as Tokdo, Tokto or Dokdo. The “Tokdo” spelling is used in this paper. The Islands are also referred to as Liancourt Rocks, after the French whaling ship—the Liancourt—which charted the islets in 1849. The name “Liancourt Rocks” is often used by neutral observers of the dispute. 1 Korea’s control of the disputed islands, in effect since the 1950s, and to dissuade Japanese vessels from approaching. Figure 1: Map of the Tokdo/Takeshima Islands Source: Author Conflict over Tokdo/Takeshima Islands has primarily remained at the diplomatic level, with physical engagement being rare. Skirmishes at sea have, at their most serious, seen the exchange of gunfire between the two sides. The 1950s were the most physically conflictual period of the dispute. With Korea’s later establishment of effective control, however, violence between Japan and Korea has been relatively minimal in the decades since. It is important to note here that the Korean physical control over the Tokdo/Takeshima Islands is not meant in a legal sense, as the islands and surrounding maritime areas have continued to be contested. The marginal strategic importance of the islands and the fact that Japan and Korea are military allies of the United States have acted as mitigating factors on the dispute. The Tokdo/Takeshima issue has nonetheless remained an irritant in bilateral relations preventing a deepening of diplomatic ties despite a high level of economic inter- dependence. Bateman (2000: 22) explains that such irritants “can be quite disproportionate in terms of both their impact on regional relations, the boost to nationalistic fervour and the incentive they provide for acquisition of naval capabilities”. After having been in the background for some time, the dispute has re- emerged since the mid-2000s as a spoiler in Japan-Korea relations. The paper seeks to explain why this has been
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