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Paper short abstract:

This presentation will examine the Japan-Korea negotiations for establishing diplomatic relations in the 1950s by focusing on Japan's claims against Korea that the former Japanese property in prewar colonial Korea was to be reverted, and explain the U.S. commitment to the issue and its limits.

Paper long abstract:

The negotiations for the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea in 1965 were extremely a difficult process that took about 14 years from the preliminary talks that began in October 1951. Among the various issues discussed at the bilateral talks, the key to the final agreement was the resolution of claim rights. The ROK government insisted on the right to claim reparations from Japan on the grounds that it had been subjected to harsh colonial rule by prewar Japan for more than 30 years and suffered tremendous damage during the Asian-Pacific War. On the other hand, Japan demanded the return of former Japanese property that had been formed in prewar colonial Korea, and rather asserted its claim against Korea. These Japanese claims against Korea caused a heated dispute between the two countries and was a major cause of the stalled Japan-Korea talks throughout the 1950s. The U.S. government, maintaining close relationships with both countries and expecting the establishment of diplomatic relations between them as early as possible for the security of the West in the region, made a commitment to the bilateral talks in order to resolve disputes and conflicts. This presentation will examine the Japan-Korea negotiations in the 1950s by mainly focusing on Japan's claims against Korea, and explain the U.S. commitment to the issue and its limits. It is expected to suggest the reason why the normalization process was long-stymied and be better understood as a prototype of the ongoing historical disputes between both countries, as well as the "ambiguous commitment" that the U.S. is taking to avoid being embroiled in it.