Mutual cultural acceptance underpins Japan-South Korea ties

As Japan and South Korea mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations this year, experts say a deepening acceptance of each other’s culture now provides a solid foundation for bilateral relations.

Despite periodic strains between the two governments over history and other issues, people-to-people exchanges, particularly in popular culture, have steadily expanded, lifting mutual favorability to record highs.

In 1965, Japan and South Korea normalized diplomatic relations by signing the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea. Yet, given the legacy of Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1045, Seoul maintained strict controls on Japanese popular culture, easing them only in stages beginning in 1998.