[WHY] Do Koreans suddenly love Japan?

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Published: 03 Feb. 2024, 07:00

[WHY] Do Koreans suddenly love Japan?

A Uniqlo store in central Seoul in 2020. [NEWS1]

Korea's sentiment toward Japan has changed strikingly in just a couple of years. So much so that Uniqlo, a representative Japanese apparel brand, experienced a near 50 percent surge in sales over the past three years in Korea.

The proximity of the two countries and their similarity in China-influenced culture — combined with a not-so-pleasant history during the colonial period and comfort women issues — have lead Korea and Japan to form multilayered relationships.

Anti-Japan sentiment was strong in the aftermath of colonial times but as generations shifted, younger people are opting to prioritize practicality rather than being tied to what happened in the past. The dramatic thaw in diplomatic relations, orchestrated by Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol entering 2023, was also a significant contributing factor.

This intricate sentiment is oftentimes bluntly reflected in Koreans' consumption behavior.

When Japan put export curbs on Korea in 2019, an infuriated boycott movement broke out in Korea against Japan under a "No Japan" slogan.

The nearly two-year boycott led Japanese automaker Nissan to pull out of the Korean market due to a severe slump in sales and almost all air carriers from Korean Air to T'way Air downsized their Japan-bound routes.

Other Japanese retail brands and products from clothing to beer all experienced nose-diving sales, leading to some offline outlets closing their doors.

Case in point: Five years on, things are looking quite the contrary.

Koreans can't get enough of Japanese culture and products. Some even started to call such phenomena the "Yes Japan" movement, a phrase that was unimaginable in the past.

Traveling data proves the case. A total of seven million Koreans traveled to Japan last year, accounting for the highest 27.8 percent out of all foreign tourists, according to Korea Tourism Organization.

The culture scene featured several Japanese elements last year. Japanese animation "Slam Dunk" which opened in theaters last year raked in nearly five million viewers in Korea, becoming the second-most watched Japanese animation here. Waiting in line for its pop-up stores was no less than that of much-coveted luxury brands like Chanel and Gucci.

Japanese beers, which suffered one of the most significant sales drops a few years back, made a grand comeback in 2023 with its indigenous foam-generating canned Asahi Super Dry which was constantly sold out during the first few months of its launch. Asahi became the third most-sold beer brand in Korea thanks to this.

Does this mean that Koreans are fond of Japan all of a sudden? What happened in the past hasn't changed but how people perceive it and bring it into their daily lives has changed amid shifting generations. Diplomatic relationships will always play an important role.

"The First Slam Dunk" which was released in 2023 became the second most-watched Japanese animation in Korea. [YONHAP]

Different definition of 'justice'

The generation that was directly influenced by anti-Japan sentiment — people in their 50s and 60s who were raised by parents who lived during the colonial times — tended to shun everything related to Japan and thought that was justice.

And perhaps they had good reason to do so.

Korea was colonized by Japan between 1910 and 1945 when Japan was accused of having committed various wartime crimes, including forcibly sending Korean women to military brothels to serve Japanese soldiers.

The so-called MZ generation, who were born between 1980 and 2010, think otherwise.

Realizing justice and pursuing happiness are perceived as two different things by the younger generation who consider practicality more important.

"History is just history, but buying goods from brands I like is directly related to my real life. How much I spend and what kind of satisfaction I can get from the products I buy is what's more important for me," says Jo Soo-hyun, a 33-year-old Seoulite working in the fashion industry, to the Korea JoongAng Daily, as she piles up stationery goods at Muji one weekday morning.

"In that sense, I like the quality and the calm vibe of Muji products although it may come with a little heftier price tag than 'the cheapest product' out there."

Muji is a representative Japanese brand that became a target of the "No Japan" movement in Korea but is eyeing a revival on the back of the most recent "Yes Japan" trend. It turned a profit last year for the first time in four years in Korea.

"People now define 'historical justice' differently," said Koo Jeong-woo, a social science professor at Sungkyunkwan University.

"They differentiate historical events and their own lives which I think that they are smart to do so. Although they dive deep into historical events, including the Korea-Japan relationship through various methods like books and movies, they consider establishing their taste and experiencing new culture more precious. They are not allowing those historical events to get in their way."

As the younger generation enjoys digging into themselves and building on their preferences, Japan is positioned as just the right destination to realize such desires.

"Japan is a close country that has a rich and unique culture which perfectly matches what the MZ generation is desiring," said Suh Yong-gu, a business administration professor at Sookmyung Women's University

"The culture is minutely fragmented and is very deep which is something that Korea cannot deliver fully."

Japan's lifestyle brand Muji turned to profit for the first time in four years in Korea in 2023. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Learned from the past

Koreans have been involved in several collective and sometimes reckless movements. The "No Japan' movement is considered one of them.

The boycott, triggered by Japan's export curbs, was launched as a retaliatory measure against the neighboring country for adversely affecting domestic companies like Samsung, which heavily depended on Japanese components and materials.

Although the fierce movement led some Japanese brands to bleed, it wasn't able to lift the export curb, if this was ever its original intention.

"Koreans have learned that collective movements like the U.S. beef protest and the boycott of Japanese products doesn't lead to solutions but only triggers unnecessary conflicts," said Lee Eun-hee, a consumer science professor at Inha University.

"Diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan are on a good track now, but even if the relationship sours, the situation won't get as dramatic as back in 2019."

Collectivism played a big role in firing up the No Japan movement five years ago.

The nationwide mood of boycotting Japanese products was somewhat coercive at the time. Videos of people going into Uniqlo shops in Korea went viral for witch-hunting. The trend was so widely seen that uploaders were called “Uparazzi,” a portmanteau of Uniqlo and paparazzi.

Victims were generated and caused unnecessary rage and inconvenience to people.

Consumers then flocked to online shops to buy Uniqlo clothes to avoid such witch-hunting. Sales of FRL Korea, which operates Uniqlo in Korea, logged a 30.9 percent year-on-year jump in sales in the fiscal year of 2022.

The number of Koreans who visited Japan in 2023 neared seven million. [YONHAP]

Will this end?

Hostility toward Japan may be waning, but will it end for good?

After all, how people react depends largely on diplomatic relationship and one never knows what kind of words or actions from political figures or government officials may provoke Koreans again.

The "Yes Japan” sentiment took momentum when the incumbent President Yoon Suk Yeol made attempts to thaw the soured relationship with Japan, making Korea's first presidential visit to the neighboring country for the first time in 12 years.

"We are living in Korea and that makes people never free from the political parties, the government and the president's influence," said Professor Koo.

"The government should come up with a way where people can access Korea-Japan relationship in a more flexible way instead of making them uncomfortable by bringing political issues into it."

The unexplainable rivalry between the two countries will remain as well. People will tune in more and cheer more furiously when Korea and Japan confront each other in any type of sports game, namely football.

But that won't be a Korea-Japan specific issue that derives from its intricate relationships.

"The rivalry will be always there no matter what. But that should not be a problem because that is a general phenomenon spotted in any part of the globe such as how Germany and France always put themselves in competing positions," said Professor Lee from Inha University.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]

korea joongAng daily

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[WHY] Do Koreans suddenly love Japan?

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