Politics and Human Rights in Korea - Historical Background in the Late 1970s

Politics and Human Rights in Korea - Historical Background in the Late 1970s

In the late 1970s, the political system and human rights issues in South Korea were the focus of much discussion in the Japanese discourse. At the time, Korea was under the long-term dictatorship of President Park Chung-hee, and political freedom was severely restricted under the Restoration regime. Dissident activists and cultural figures were suppressed, especially the poet Kim Ji-hae and politician Kim Dae-jung, who were internationally known, and their treatment was a global concern that went beyond Japan-Korea relations.

In Japan, incidents involving the Korean organization in Japan, the Korean National Congress for the Promotion of Democratic Restoration and Reunification of Korea (Han Min Tong), were reported and discussed, linking political repression in Korea to the activities of the diaspora community. The article also discussed human rights diplomacy in the U.S., particularly as President Carter's policies spilled over, and whether or not Japan should be in sync with the U.S. In response to the criticism that "there is no political freedom in Korea," the article includes some who are concerned about outside intervention and others who point out the discrepancy with international conventions, showing the complexity of the issue that cannot be divided by a simple theory of justice.

During this period, Japan was faced with the challenge of how to balance security and economic development in Asia within the Cold War structure. Korea was at the forefront of the anti-communist camp and at the same time was growing into one of Japan's largest trading partners. Therefore, criticism of Korea and human rights advocacy in Japanese society were perceived not only as moral issues, but also as practical problems concerning the balance between security and economic development.

Thus, the discourse of the time mirrored Japanese society, which was wavering between international politics and human rights diplomacy during the Cold War, and the debate over the positions of the Park administration, dissidents, and Japan was one of the symbolic themes of East Asia in the 1970s.