To
call the relationship between Korea and Japan a troubled one would be
an understatement. For most Westerners, the relationship between the
two countries seems to be mostly about lingering resentment from the
Second World War, economic rivalry, and territorial disputes. Though
that view isn't wrong, it only manages to scratch the surface. The
feud between the two countries has been going on for centuries.
And
truth be told, as much as the war of words that go back and forth
across the East Sea (or the Sea of Japan, if you prefer) about Dokdo (or Takeshima, again, if you prefer) or comfort women can become
bitter and hurtful, it’s still preferable to the types of
‘negotiations’ the two countries have relied on in the more
distant past.
As
bitter and frosty as the relationship can become, however, due to
geography alone, the fates of both countries are intertwined with one
another. That is why even after the harshest of exchanges, like a
married couple, both countries always come back together and try to
get along the best they can.
Considering
that this interstate relationship is fraught with enough difficulties
as it is, it surely does not need any help from trolls. Yet there
they are doing what trolls do best – provoking people to anger for
the sake of provoking people to anger. Toru
Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka, is such a troll.
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| Troll Level: Master Troll Source: http://www2.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Toru-Hashimoto_featured.jpg |
In
a speech
that Hashimoto gave in May, he said, “When soldiers are risking
their lives by running through storms of bullets, and you want to
give these emotionally charged soldiers a rest somewhere, it’s
clear that you need a comfort-women system.”
Considering
how the issue of comfort women is still a festering wound between
Korea and Japan, what Hashimoto did was the verbal equivalent of
poking a sleeping badger with a hot poker. While it’s a 100
degrees Fahrenheit during the worst drought of the century. And
while the badger is on menopause.
The
response from Koreans was, of course, predictable to the point of
being perfunctory. Naturally, there were calls for retractions,
apologies, and resignations. Others called for trade boycotts. As
economically devastating a real trade boycott between the two
countries would be, however, it was a mild statement compared to the
likes of an editorial,
which was written by Kim Jin, a troll in his own right as well, from
the JoongAng Daily, which suggested that it’s only a matter of time
before God (yes, God) decides to smite Japan with another atomic
bombing because that
obviously sounds reasonable.
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| Because a nuclear war is always a cause for celebration. Source: http://copiouscope.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb-original.jpg |
Japan’s
response was just as predictable to the point of being perfunctory.
Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, according to the
Daily
Mail, was reported to have said that the editorial was ‘quite dishonorable’ adding, “Our
country is the only atom-bombed nation. We will never forgive such
remarks.”
Considering
how prominent Japanese politicians have belittled comfort women and
the Rape of Nanking recently, obviously, that
was
the reasonable statement to make because Japan
was really the victim
of
World War II; and not one of the perpetrators, because, as Suga
reminded everyone, Japan is after all the only atom-bombed nation in
the history of the world.
Perhaps
it wasn't fair of me to say that trolls provoke
people to anger merely for the sake of provoking people to anger. In
Hashimoto’s case, he most likely has higher political aspirations and
like all politicians in the world, seems to be trying to achieve his
ambition by pandering to the lowest common denominator. In Kim Jin’s
case, for all intents and purposes, he appears to be a populist
writer who is also pandering to the lowest common denominator. It is
no secret that traditional print media is a dying industry and I
suppose that the newspapers would stoop to any level, no matter how
low, to retain readers.
Regardless
of their personal motives, it doesn't change the fact that they are
trolls and unfortunately, both average Koreans and Japanese people
seem to be getting swept up in fits of hysterical nationalism over
past events which neither side would actually accept apologies for no
matter how much they insist that a ‘sincere’ apology is all that
they want.
If
past behavior is any indicator, inevitably, this political storm will
also pass. Both countries will briefly keep aside their political
rhetoric and will read each other's mangas and listen to each other's
factory-produced bubble gum pop music. At least until the next time
a politician feels that he needs to shore up votes ahead of an
upcoming election and says something stupid.
In
social media, whenever a troll leaves behind a deliberately
provocative statement, he/she does so specifically for the purpose of
angering the other person because they get a kick out of it. They
relish the thought of having ruined someone’s day. And the best
advice anyone has ever given in regards to treating trolls is to not
feed them. Like parasites, when they see that their intended host is
not providing them the sustenance that they require, they tend to go
back to the dark and silent edges of the internet from whence they
came.
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| There is nothing a troll hates more than being ignored. Source: http://howthehelldidienduphere.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/troll-fighting-back.jpg?w=645 |
Though
neither Hashimoto nor Kim Jin meets the exact
definitions of internet trolls, their behavior comes pretty close.
Whenever trolls like them rear their ugly heads, and they will, both
Koreans and Japanese should just ignore them. And they will
disappear.
The
relationship between Korea and Japan needs further fine-tuning. Both
countries need to work very hard to make things better. And it won’t
be easy. But by ignoring the trolls, at least it won’t be harder
than it necessarily has to be.
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