Pusch 1

Kathleen Pusch
Mrs. Neumann
English 12/1
1/25/2021

What I Knew

Throughout my adolescence I moved several times, and was introduced to a variety of

cultural influences in and out of the United States. It was in this way that I became fascinated

with the diversity of differences I could find outside of my small-town childhood. The

experiences I had inspired me to go abroad and learn more about the world on my own. I began

to understand that one of the things I value the most is connection, and decided I wanted to make

a career out of helping to form and maintain the connections between independent perspectives. I

want to work in international business so I can observe and enjoy their beautiful harmony.

The best way to do this, in my opinion, would be to start a career in the foreign service

industry of the United States. Specifically, I would like to be stationed in the East Asia area in

the Tokyo embassy of Japan. I have always had a deep fascination with Japanese culture, and it

is something I would like to experience in depth if I am able. Throughout my life, Japanese

culture has subtly interplayed in many of my memories. My mother had taught there for a little

while when she was younger, and has kept in contact with some of her students. One family is

particularly close to us, and stayed with us for one summer. So it is also my wish to go to that

country, and try to experience the culture firsthand like she did. Researching the political

interplays between the countries in that area, and how it relates to the United States in a global

context directly correlates to my future ambitions. I don’t know alot about the countries

surrounding the East China sea, but that’s why it’s critical for it to be the center of my topic.
 Pusch 2

I have already begun following through on my future intentions, as I was accepted into

the Global Business program at Trinity College Dublin. As it is a specialized program with only

40 spaces, it was my top choice when applying to colleges. The program is designed to create

successful careers in international business, including up to a full semester or year abroad.

Having a solid foundation of knowledge about the relationships between these countries would

strongly benefit me before being immersed in the culture itself. Completing the program will put

me in the perfect position to follow through on my endeavors, and so I would like to use this

time to help confirm it is the right path moving forward.

What I Wanted to Know

I wanted to finish this project having accumulated a solid understanding of the political

relationships among Japan, China, North Korea, and South Korea; and their role in United States

politics. In order to achieve this goal, I believed a thorough understanding of each country’s

individual perspectives was necessary. This meant my first objective was to research the

individual values and culture of each country. What do they value? What keeps them together?

Why do they think the way they do that makes them different from everyone else? Getting in the

headspace of political leaders would help deepen understanding about incentives behind certain

decisions, and may help to predict future outcomes.

The second thing I needed to know was their history. As history is the influence of

current culture, I expected both would play an important role in influencing how the leaders of

each country guide the politics of their respective countries. History also highlights past

discrepancies- which motivated the third objective. I needed to know how each country privately

views the other, and possible sources of tension. Those tensions could result from both culture

and history. The fourth goal correlated to context, as I wanted to see how the relationships
 Pusch 3

between these countries influenced people on a global scale. The fifth and final objective, and

probably the most important, was to research the shared current events between these countries

that largely impacts their futures. It is possible I could be involved with these problems in the

ensuing years, I wanted to be more prepared if that becomes the case. Additionally, knowing

immediate current events is critical in understanding the current political climate moving

forward. In the end, it was my ultimate goal to establish five objectives with which the most

basic understanding of each could adequately prepare me for the future.

What I Learned

Over the past couple of months I have thoroughly researched my topic following the

objectives I laid out in the beginning of this paper. In this section, I will summarize my findings

in the areas of culture, history, discrepancies, global context, and current events, in roughly that

respective order.

I started with a basic google search of each country to get a broad sense of history and

global reputation. For Japan, I found that their modern philosophies incorporate a fusion of

Chinese, European, traditional, and North American influence. The culture is greatly impacted

by Buddhist and confucist values, with Buddhism being one of the major religions of the

country (Cultural Atlas, Japan). During an interview with Professor Andrew Feenberg from SFU,

I learned about how the impacts of Buddhism and Shintoism formed in the early history of

Japan, and how that clashed with and ultimately rejected Chritianity in the last great massacre of

Christians in history. Modern japanese culture, conversely, has evolved rapidly in the last century

as modernization has introduced new lifestyles to citizens. Today, Japan maintains a unitary

parliamentary constitutional government (adopted after the second world war), and holds great

international power as it is a member of the United Nations as well as numerous other

 Pusch 4

international organizations. During my talk with Tom and Yukari Harris, I learned about the

inter-regional complexities that are often overlooked in a country that is often viewed as

homogeneous. Japan also has one of the largest economies in the world and is a leader in the

automotive and electronic industries (World Factbook, Japan).

In North and South Korea, the differences caused by more recent divisions of the North

and South caused a split in modern cultural ideologies diverting from a shared traditional culture.

Modern North Korean culture has a totalitarian stalinistic dictatorship persona influenced by the

prior USSR occupation of the area. Juche is the official DPRK ideology, which ultimately

translates as a “man is the master of his destiny” philosophy. Overall North Korea is a very

private country with the highest number of military and paramilitary personnel (World Factbook,

North Korea). South Korea, on the other hand, ceased being an authoritarian system at the very

start of the split. Instead, its modern culture has been largely influenced by the country’s rapidly

growing economy that has introduced new lifestyles. It is a distinct and vibrant culture that has

largely been influenced by confucianism(Cultural Atlas, South Korea).

In researching China, I found the core values center around modesty, filial piety, guanxi,

interdependence, stoicism, “face”, and unity. Because of its extensive history, China houses

several ethnic groups with independent customs and traditions (Cultural Atlas, China). China is

another country that is also mistakenly viewed as homogeneous, with most of its subcultures

swept up in overgeneralizations. Although the country as a whole has gone through a lot of

change within the last 50 years, behavior is still tightly regulated by state authority, with reforms

often shifting towards the dominant Han culture. But it is also important to note, however, that

recent international exposure has created a division in the mental attitudes between the young

and older populations (World Factbook, China), skewing the youth towards more democratic
 Pusch 5

ideals. Despite this, cultural identity in China remains strong and its modern culture is shifting

into a mindset focused on innovation, preservation, and cultural/economic evolution (Cultural

Atlas, China).

After getting a broad sense of what each country values, I started to learn about the

events that shaped their ideologies, and how each views the other today. The personal histories of

each were fairly extensive, so in order to structure my findings of their shared history, I decided I

needed a base timeline to orient myself around the history of the region. I decided to start with

and use Japan for this purpose, as it is the country I am aspiring to live in some day. In 1603, the

decades of civil warfare in Japan ended, ushering in two centuries of peace under the Tokugawa

Shogunate in which the indiginous culture flourished (World Factbook, Japan). The ports of

Japan were forced open by the United States, and the Treaty of Kanagawa was signed in 1854.

This began a period of intensive modernization and industrialization, and in 1857 Japan used its

western technology to force Korea into opening itself to foriegn and Japanese trade. Doing so

also encourages the country’s independence from China in foreign relations(Encyclopedia

Britannica, The Opening of Japan).

Fueled by national pride and by its success in Korea, Japan instigated the first

Sino-Japanese War and invaded China. The war lasted from 1894 to 1895, in which Japan’s

modernization from the Meiji Restoration allowed it to succeed in invading Shandong Province

and Manchuria, pressuring the Chinese into signing the Treaty of Shimonoseki. With this treaty

China recognized Korea as independent and ceeds Taiwan. The war bought Japan prestige,

national reputation, and internal support of its government. These early stages of Japanese

political development (from the Meiji Restoration to the end of the war) yielded other “peculiar

features” such as the “demands of a rising mercantile class… resulted in the liquidation of
 Pusch 6

feudalism and in the kind political change that had accompanied the industrial revolution in

Europe” (Sansom 310).

Conversely, the conflict weakened China’s reputation, and it started to face other

international pressures, particularly from the West (Encyclopedia Britannica, First Sino-Japanese

War). Korea was reluctant to follow the Japanese government, and aligned with Russia in 1900.

Japan aligned with England in 1902 to face the Korea-Russia alliance in the Russo-Japanese War

from 1904 to 1905, where they won at a great cost. The resulting Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated

by Theodore Roosevelt, gives Japan primacy in Korea. In 1910 Japan annexed the country in

1910 and reached the height of its supremacy in 1912 by becoming the strongest imperialist

power in East Asia (Encyclopedia Britannica, Russo-Japanese War).

During the first World War, Japan issued a Twenty-one Demands to China in 1915, trying

to pressure China into widespread concessions. By this time, the dynastic era in China had

ended, becoming the modern Republic of China. While China was able to resist the more

extreme demands, thus drastically altering what it could look like today, it was still left with a

lasting legacy of ill-will and distrust towards Japan. And during the negotiations of the Treaty of

Versailles in 1919, any lingering hopes of friendship between the two countries was squandered

(Encyclopedia Britannica, Japanese expansionism).

In 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China, creating more animosity between

the countries (World Factbook, China). In the wake of that war in 1940, the leadership of the

ruling nationalist KMT party was doubted, and the country was thrown into civil war. The war

ultimately turned into a proxy war between Mao Zedong and the communists backed by the

USSR, and the KMT backed by the United States. Mao won over the support of the peasantry,

and the People’s Republic was established in 1949. Mao Zedong establishes an autocratic
 Pusch 7

socialist system, rejecting globalization and enforcing national unification with stringent rules

(Mott, Chandler). In the wake of World War 2, Japan and Korea also went through intense

governmental reforms. Japan adopted its current system, which is akin to a United States-United

Kingdom hybrid, and the two Northern and Southern governments of Korea were formed in

1948 when reunification negotiations in the wake of the war failed. The Soviet forces

re-occupied the northern Korean peninsula during World War 2, with the United States

occupying the south. The north invaded the south in 1950, starting the Korean War, which lasted

until 1953. During the war, China assisted North Korea while remaining “neutral” during the

war, while the UN assisted South Korea. The armistice instigated by the United Nations

Command began mediating a fragile peace between the two countries in which a demilitarized

zone was established along the 38th parallel. The terms of the armistice were approved by the

South Korean government, but never signed (Encyclopedia Britannica, Korean War).

China reopened its closed borders and economy in 1978 under the new leadership of

Deng Xiao-Ping. He becomes the architect of modern-day China, steering the country into “The

Chinese Economic Reform”; a time of immense economic and societal regrowth by recognizing

a need for international involvement and embracement of modernization and globalization.

Pro-democracy movements reached a peak in 1989, however, resulting in the Tiananmen

Massacre, in which it is estimated 200,000 people were killed. This creates a turning point within

China in which a deal is struck where the people are given full economic freedom with virtually

no political freedom(Mott, Chandler). Also during this time, Japan experienced a period of

unprecedented economic growth from 1960 until a major slowdown in 1990 (The World

Factbook, Japan).
 Pusch 8

Today, China is easily South Korea’s largest trading partner, so their contemporary

relationship is largely defined by extensive trading and economic relations (oec.world). The two

countries have a long shared history, and so similar values and societal structuring/outlook have

bled through the countries as a result. Both are currently seeking to strengthen their partnership

in different areas to foster a concrete partnership. A similar conclusion is drawn from China’s

relationship with North Korea, with the latter largely dependent on China for trade. Outside of

economics, the relationship has been a little strained since the Chinese backing of the DPRK in

the Korean War after Pyongyang tested a nuclear weapon in October of 2006, and Beijing

backed a UN Security Council Resolution that imposed sanctions on Pyongyang

(“Understanding the China-North Korea Relationship”).

Sino-Japanese relations were repaired a bit during the Prime Ministership of Shinzo Abe,

with the two countries sharing the leading two-way trade relationship (Gao, Charlotte).

Underlying tensions, however, resulting from the history of the Japanese war, aftermath of World

War 2, and imperialist and maritime disputes in the East China Sea threaten to collapse the

relationship if left to fester on their own. According to a BBC World Service report from 2014,

mutual dislike has increased significantly between the two countries over the course of recent

years. The two governments, however, have expressed intentions to improve their relationship,

and have cooperated on increasing global trade and Asia’s economy, as well as maritime and air

contact systems for better communication (South China Morning Post).

The basic relationship between South Korea and Japan was formed in 1965 under the

Treaty of Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea, with Japan recognizing

South Korea as the only legitimate Korean government. The nature of their relationship,

unfortunately, is very strained resulting from several disputes over territorial claims, diplomatic
 Pusch 9

visits, differing views of Japan’s treatment of colonial Korea, and failed negotiations over

resolvement for Japan’s mistreatment of Korea in World War 2 (Kyodo News+). South Korea

holds the second most negative view of Japan behind China. Meanwhile, the relationship

between North Korea and Japan has not been formally established, with informal public

knowledge displaying the relationship as severely marked by tension and hostility inflamed by

the issue of kidnapped Japanese citizens and North Korea’s nuclear program. Japan has the most

negative view of North Korea in the world according to the same BBC World Service Report

mentioned earlier.

The peace between North and South Korea is unstable, as the war between them ended in

an armistice. Both countries claim ownership over the entirety of the peninsula and surrounding

islands. Informal diplomatic talks between the two nations ensued to ease military tensions since

the 1970’s, until a more aggressive approach at peace was taken by President Kim Dae-Jung in

South Korea when the Sunshine Policy was adopted in 2000. It was continued by the next

president, Roh Moo-hyun, who also signed a declaration to pursue peace with the North Korean

leader at the time, Kim Jong-il. After facing growing criticism, however, the Sunshine Policy

was dissolved under the following two leaders. The relationship became more hostile once again

until the nations reached a diplomatic breakthrough starting in 2018. In April that year, the two

countries signed the Panmunjom Declaration For Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the

Korean Peninsula. Diplomacy between South Korea and the DPRK has considerably warmed

within the last two decades, even if lingering tension remains today between the two countries

(Encyclopedia Britannica, Relations with the South).

The East China Sea is a medium ground between the three major East Asian countries

(China, South Korea, and Japan), whose interactions facilitate some of the most important
 Pusch 10

international relations globally (sciencedirect.com). When discussing this in my interview with

Abheek Battacharya, he compared the area’s economic tendencies by saying “it is like a solar

system where China is the sun”. Majority control over the Southern and East China Sea has great

influence over the economic and political affiliations impacting global relation and trade

(sciencedirect.com).

The area sees several territorial disputes (mostly between China and Japan), including the

daily confrontations around the Senkaku/Daioyu Islands between Japanese and Chinese law

enforcement (“Civil Diplomacy’s Role in East China Sea”). Although these islands are unable to

support life, they are incredibly important both strategically and politically as they serve as a

conduit for further claims over the surrounding sea and resources. Persistent agitation in the

region, like the dispute over these islands, threatens global security (Wayback Machine).

Tensions in the area are also inflamed by the abundant natural oil and gas found in the earth

under the sea (The Economist). Settling civil dispute over the territory is paramount in

maintaining healthy diplomatic and economic international relations globally (Wayback

Machine)

Several notable events have taken place in the region of the East China Sea aside from

the slowdowns induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. I decided to isolate out some of the topics I

believe will have great ramifications in the future. These include the Chinese reclaiming of Hong

Kong, the subsequent overhaul of Hong Kong elections (Bradsher, Keith), the leadership of

Japan after the prime ministership of Shinzo Abe and introduction of Abenomics (Rich,

Motoko), the treatment of Uighur people in China (Mott, Chandler), the mindset disparity

between generations in China calling for governmental and social reform (including youth

movements like the #RiceBunny) and its implications (Xu, Xiaoyi), the economic and trade
 Pusch 11

protests in South Korea (including the Candlelight Revolution) (Dudden, Alexis), and Kim

Jong-un’s visit to South Korea in 2018 (South Korea - Timeline).

Why This is Important to Me

My ultimate goal for this project was to educate myself enough so I’d be better equipped

to participate in complex conversations involving the countries in the area I have studied. I

wanted a general understanding of the big picture, so I would know better where to start when

navigating through the deeper complexities of the region. Having been through this research

project over the last few months, I believe I have come out the other side having achieved that

goal.

The mission of this project was long and complicated, but I learned as I went that that

was a necessary outcome to begin to understand the dynamic inter-political relationships of

China, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea within the given time frame. Through every mentor

interview, I discovered new layers of complexity outside of my thesis that would take just as

much, if not more time than I’ve already spent to explore. Yet through all that, this project has

not deterred me from wanting to study, and possibly work, in Japan. With a deeper

understanding that I now possess, learning as much as I have has only inspired me to invest

myself further into the idea. In lieu of that goal, it is my goal this summer to study the Japanese

language over the summer before going to college.

Of course, a lot of things could change over the next three years, so it is entirely possible

that I won’t get to live in Japan one day. Either way, the knowledge I have acquired in this

project will be invaluable to me moving forward when navigating through all global issues,

including those surrounding the area around the East China Sea. It has provided critical context I

can use when navigating future current events and similar situations. Overall, I think this project
 Pusch 12

will be very beneficial to me, not only in confirming my love for this subject as a general

interest, but a practical one as well moving forward into the next stage of my life.
 Pusch 13

Works Cited

Bhattacharya, Abheek. Personal interview. February 11, 2021.

Bradsher, Keith, et al. “'Patriots' Only: Beijing Plans Overhaul of Hong Kong's Elections.” The

New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Feb. 2021,

www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/world/asia/china-hong-kong-elections.html.

Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency,

www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/.

Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency,

www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/.

“China.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2 Mar. 2021,

www.britannica.com/place/China.

“Civil Diplomacy's Role in the East China Sea.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on

Foreign Relations,

www.cfr.org/councilofcouncils/global-memos/civil-diplomacys-role-east-china-sea.

Dudden, Alexis. “Revolution by Candlelight: How South Koreans Toppled a Government.”

Dissent Magazine, 23 Oct. 2017,

www.dissentmagazine.org/article/revolution-by-candlelight-how-south-koreans-toppled-a-gover

ment.

Feenberg, Andrew. Personal Interview. February 23, 2021.

“First Sino-Japanese War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/event/First-Sino-Japanese-War-1894-1895.
 Pusch 14

Gao, Charlotte. “China-Japan Relations Move Toward a 'New Start'.” – The Diplomat, For The

Diplomat, 15 Nov. 2017,

thediplomat.com/2017/11/china-japan-relations-move-toward-a-new-start/.

Harris, Tom. Personal Interview. February 14, 2021.

Harris, Yukari. Personal interview. February 14, 2021.

“History of the Korean War.” United Nations Command > History > 1950-1953: Korean War

(Active Conflict), www.unc.mil/History/1950-1953-Korean-War-Active-Conflict/.

“Japan Ready to Cooperate with China on Global Trade Plan.” South China Morning Post, 20

July 2018,

www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2122846/japan-ready-cooperate-china-gl

obal-trade-plan-shinzo.

“Japanese Expansionism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/place/Japan/Japanese-expansionism.

“Korean War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/event/Korean-War.

Mott, Chandler. “AP Comparative Government and Politics”. Class lecture. March 2, 2021.

News, Kyodo. “Japan-S. Korea Rift May Change Regional Economic, Security Structures.”

Kyodo News+, KYODO NEWS+, 15 Aug. 2019,

english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/08/9e957002f242-focus-japan-s-korea-rift-may-change-regio

nal-economic-security-structures.html.

“Oil and Gas in Troubled Waters.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper,

www.economist.com/asia/2005/10/06/oil-and-gas-in-troubled-waters.
 Pusch 15

“The Opening of Japan.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/place/Japan/The-opening-of-Japan#ref23184.

Pier. “Chinese Culture - Core Concepts.” Cultural Atlas,

culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/chinese-culture/chinese-culture-core-concepts#chinese-culture-core-co

ncepts.

Pier. “Japanese Culture - Core Concepts.” Cultural Atlas,

culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/japanese-culture/japanese-culture-core-concepts.

Pier. “South Korean Culture - Core Concepts.” Cultural Atlas,

culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/south-korean-culture/south-korean-culture-core-concepts.

“Relations with the South.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/place/North-Korea/Relations-with-the-South.

Rich, Motoko, et al. “Japan's Next Prime Minister Emerges From Behind the Curtain.” The New

York Times, The New York Times, 14 Sept. 2020,

www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/world/asia/japan-prime-minister-yoshihide-suga-bio.html.

“Russo-Japanese War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Feb. 2021,

www.britannica.com/event/Russo-Japanese-War.

Sansom, G. B.. The Western World and Japan. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1968.

Schottenhammer, Angela. “The ‘China Seas’ in World History: A General Outline of the Role of

Chinese and East Asian Maritime Space from Its Origins to c. 1800.” Journal of Marine

and Island Cultures, No Longer Published by Elsevier, 16 Jan. 2013,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212682112000261.

“South Korea (KOR) Exports, Imports, and Trade Partners.” OEC,

oec.world/en/profile/country/kor/?subnatTradeValueSelector=tradeScale0.
 Pusch 16

“South Korea - Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 1 May 2018,

www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15292674.

“Tensions in the East China Sea | Global Conflict Tracker.” Council on Foreign Relations,

Council on Foreign Relations,

www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/tensions-east-china-sea.

“Understanding the China-North Korea Relationship.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on

Foreign Relations, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-north-korea-relationship.

Wayback Machine,

web.archive.org/web/20120920022613/www.eia.gov/emeu/cabs/East_China_Sea/Full.html.

Zhu, Xiaoyi. Personal interview. February 22, 2021.