During the month of February this year, the number of South Korean tourists visiting Japan reached 570,000, accounting for 38% of all foreign visitors and making South Korea the top source of tourists for Japan. Since the lifting of visa restrictions in October last year, there has been a significant increase in the number of Korean visitors, creating a sense of returning to the pre-pandemic situation. Annually, around 7.5 million South Koreans visit Japan, while the number of Japanese visitors to South Korea is approximately 2.5 million. Despite Japan's population being 2.4 times larger than South Korea's, the proportion of tourists from South Korea is about three times higher. This indicates that South Koreans have a strong preference for traveling to Japan. Moreover, with flight reservation rates exceeding 90%, most airlines are planning to expand their routes to Japan, and it is expected that the Japan-Rush will continue to grow even further.

It is said that the boom of Japanese animation in the film industry will not cease this year either. According to the Korean Film Council's computer network, the total number of moviegoers this year is 26 million. Among them, ‘The First Slam Dunk’ attracted 4.45 million viewers, ‘Suzume‘ attracted 3.86 million viewers, and ’Demon Slayer‘ attracted 530,000 viewers. In total, these three Japanese animated films attracted a combined audience of 8.84 million viewers.

 In conclusion, one out of every three moviegoers watched a Japanese film, and Japanese films have claimed the top two spots, surpassing Korean and American films. The reason behind the boom of Japanese animation is attributed to the strong industrial and genre diversity it offers, ranging from children's content to genres like horror, robots, and monster films, as well as encompassing works by acclaimed directors. In contrast, Korean films have been more focused on children's content, leading to the assessment that Japan's industry and genre diversity are its strengths.

 Furthermore, it is interpreted that Japanese animation provides a sense of empathy that transcends language and borders. It depicts the intense perseverance in sports competitions and offers warm consolation to the Japanese people who have experienced the devastating earthquake disaster.

 In Korea, one out of three moviegoers watched Japanese animation, while in Japan, K-pop accounted for 31% of the sales in the top 10 of the Oricon album chart. This indicates that the Korean wave, which started with dramas, is now creating a significant impact with K-pop. Particularly, BTS has achieved the top spot in the artist sales category for two consecutive years, surpassing both domestic and international artists in Japan, generating a total revenue of 100 million dollars. This is truly astonishing. Furthermore, Korean dramas are dominating the popularity charts in the Japanese Netflix TV category this year. Among the top 10, six of them are Korean dramas, including the first-place drama 'The Glory'.

 On the 24th of last month, the Asahi newspaper published a front-page analytical article titled 'The Korean Wave 20 years, a rejuvenated spring', stating that the Korean Town that was once filled with middle-aged and older women enchanted by the drama 'Winter Sonata' is now dominated by high school students obsessed with K-pop. Japanese media outlets are presenting analysis articles stating that, despite the political tension between Japan and South Korea, young Japanese people are able to separate politics from culture, and they continue to foster empathy and exchange in the fields of tourism and culture. In a survey asking about feelings towards Japan, the percentage of respondents with a positive sentiment is somewhat lower at 24.5% compared to the 36.5% who expressed negative sentiment. However, the neutral position accounts for 39%, indicating a high possibility of shifting towards a positive atmosphere at any time. However, when focusing specifically on Japanese culture, the positive response rate increases significantly to 73.1%, while only 6.5% of respondents expressed a negative view.

 In other words, there is a significantly high favorable response rate towards Japanese culture, including food, animation, movies, and games. Among the three countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula—China, North Korea, and Japan—Japan receives the highest level of favorability at 75%. This could be attributed to the shared values of liberal democracy and human rights. The survey results indicate that people in their 40s, often referred to as the 'Slam Dunk generation', show a high level of interest in animation, movies, and other content. Additionally, individuals in their 50s and 60s exhibit the highest preference and positive sentiment towards Japanese cuisine.

 One reason why Japanese culture, often referred to as 'J-culture', has spread and gained popularity in Korean society is its consistency. In the early 1900s, while other Asian countries were falling under colonial rule, Japan stood as the only nation in the East that held an equal position with Western countries. It began to spread widely as a representative of Eastern culture to Europe and the United States.

 The annual revenue of the overseas market for comics and animations amounts to 9 billion dollars, and in the 1980s, Nintendo and Sony's PlayStation dominated the global market by creating games and gaming consoles. Secondly, unlike Korea, which is sensitive to trends, Japanese society values the individuality of its members and embraces diversity. This is particularly evident in music and architecture.

 Unlike the Korean music market, which has developed around idol music, Japan leads a large market with diverse music genres such as pop, rock, new age, and classical. In contrast to Korea's emphasis on practical technology and construction efficiency, Japanese architectural design values the uniqueness and creativity of individuals. Thirdly, analysis suggests that the concept of 'monozukuri', often referred to as the 'craftsmanship spirit', plays a significant role in the growth and spread of J-culture.

The meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of product creation has contributed to the upscale image of Japanese goods. As a result, Japanese cuisine, along with French cuisine, has fostered fine dining culture, and 'ryokan', known for its high-quality service, has become a representative accommodation in the Japanese travel industry.

 After a gap of 52 days since President Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to Japan in March, the 'shuttle diplomacy' between the leaders of both countries has been restored after 12 years with Prime Minister Kishida's visit. The South Korean government has opened a breakthrough by offering compensation for the long-standing issue of 'comfort women' that has strained bilateral relations. Building trust over the past year, the two countries have created an opportunity to further advance the bilateral relationship beyond the 1998 "Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration."

Recently, the need for joint responses between South Korea and Japan has become greater due to Russia's 'invasion of Ukraine', China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' foreign policy, and North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Additionally, both countries face similar challenges such as economic crises, population decline, low birth rates, and aging populations. It is important for them to move forward without being swayed by South Korea's 'anti-Japan' and Japan's 'anti-southkorea' and to break free from the constraints of the past and focus on the future.

 If we can shift our perspective from being a country that was weak and constantly being dominated during the period of 'merger and liberation' to becoming a confident member of the OECD after liberation, South Korea and Japan can become good neighbors and friends. With similar cultural consciousness and a shared diet of rice, fish, and soybean soup, we can always feel comfortable in each other's presence. That's why approximately 7.5 million people travel to Japan from South Korea every year.

 While we can choose our friends and spouses, we cannot choose our neighboring countries. As the saying goes, 'neighbors are like relatives', if we can establish a good relationship and friendship with our closest neighbor, we can foster a mutually dependent system and achieve economic development together. We can become valuable partners in cooperating on security issues in Northeast Asia. Moreover, it is important to shift our perspective on Japan from emotional anti-Japanese sentiments to a more pragmatic view that utilizes the benefits of Japan. We should focus on improving our own capabilities so that we can excel in the future in a constructive manner towards Japan.

 The Noh Myeong-hyun administration in 2005 concluded that "the issue of forced laborers was addressed in the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Settlement Agreement." However, in 2012, our Supreme Court overturned this decision, and in 2015, the Park Geun-hye administration reached a "comfort women agreement" with the Japanese government. However, the Moon Jae-in administration has rejected the bilateral agreement. The trust between the two countries has been severely damaged, leading to South Korea's exclusion from the 'white country' list, a list of countries receiving preferential treatment in exports, and causing significant impact on exports such as semiconductors. The memories of these events are vivid.

 During the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan in 1972, China confidently stated, "China does not demand apologies or reparations from Japan. If we were to demand apologies or reparations for being once humiliated, wouldn't it be an admission of China's weakness? China maintains its dignity." On the other hand, with the 8 billion dollars, both in grants and loans, provided by Japan to Korea in 1965, we were able to achieve the Miracle on the Han River, with projects such as Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO), Gyeongbu Expressway, Soyanggang Dam, oil refineries, and fertilizer factories being constructed with Japanese funds and technology, ultimately leading Korea to become a member of the OECD today.

 After the liberation in 1945, Japan was forcibly expelled from the Korean Peninsula, leaving behind the social indirect capital they had built over 36 years, including railways, roads, ports, and electricity infrastructure. They departed, taking only themselves, while leaving behind all the businesses and personal properties they operated in Korea. The remaining properties were referred to as 'Vested Property'.

 The United States confiscated these properties and transferred ownership to the South Korean government, which received a small amount of money in return. These businesses, which had left behind their properties, eventually grew into major conglomerates in South Korea. While the amount of uncompensated grants under the 'Korea-Japan Claims Agreement' was 300 million dollars, the combined value of these vested properties was 2.9 billion dollars for North Korea and 2.3 billion dollars for South Korea, totaling 5.2 billion dollars. These properties accounted for over 80% of South Korea's economy at the time, leading to the interpretation that without these vested properties, the South Korean economy would have been virtually nonexistent.

 Jang Hoon, a prominent former Japanese baseball player of Korean descent and a victim of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, chose to retain his Korean nationality despite many temptations. In an interview, he stated, "I am Korean, and it is my homeland. I will speak out the bitter truth that I have carried in my heart." Jang emphasized, "Until when do we have to keep demanding apologies and compensation from Japan? It's shameful. Although we were weak at that time and had our country taken away, shouldn't we now hold our heads high, join hands with Japan as equals, and become neighboring countries?"

 Indeed, in Korea, Japanese culture has a significant presence in various forms such as manga, anime, characters, movies, as well as food and beverages. According to public opinion surveys, 73% of respondents have a positive view of J-Culture. On the other hand, in Japan, there is a strong influence of popular Korean brands and a fervor for K-fashion, and the Hallyu (Korean Wave) phenomenon, which gained immense popularity after the 2003 drama "Winter Sonata," is now being enjoyed by the dynamic and vibrant K-pop culture among the younger MZ generation. With the restoration of 'shuttle diplomacy' after 12 years, if cultural exchanges between J-Culture and K-pop are further expanded, the two countries could move beyond the stage of cooperation and progress towards a stage of 'symbiosis,' encompassing democratic nations, security cooperation, and market economies.

CEO BAIK, SUNGCHUN