[Reporter’s Notebook] When Diplomacy Becomes a Political Battleground

No Zero-Sum or Binary Choices in Bilateral Diplomacy
Politics Where "Easy Clarity" Prevails Over Complex Righteousness
The Essence of Diplomacy as a Multivariate Equation Is Undermined

"Clear things are easy. Right things are complicated. The problem is that 'easy clarity' always wins over 'complex righteousness."

This is a remark I heard from an opposition party lawmaker. I remember it as an expression that clearly shows a facet of Korean politics. In a two-party system, the tactic of striking the opponent's weak points with 'easy and clear logic' is often used. This makes framing easier and is advantageous for winning. It sticks in voters' minds and easily puts the opposing side on the defensive.

A typical example is how, in Korea-Japan relations, when we extend a hand first, it is immediately and harshly linked to pro-Japanese (chinil) or traitorous (maeguk) accusations. Anti-Japanese sentiment and nationalism, shared by countries that suffered colonial rule, have become a collective unconscious in our minds through history education, historical dramas, and various content. Politicians sharply raise the stakes to stimulate this.

In fact, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, harshly criticized the recent Korea-Japan summit as "not shuttle diplomacy but bread shuttle diplomacy." He also used expressions like "submissive diplomacy" and "humiliating, servile diplomacy." No alternatives were proposed. This is a typical political offensive that regards Japan as an object of exclusion, annihilation, and defeat, as a "common enemy."

Let’s push the hardline stance advocated by the opposition to the extreme. We hold Japan accountable for colonial rule until the end and punish it. We file a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a final showdown. We convene a dispute resolution committee under Article 3 of the Korea-Japan Claims Agreement. Korea-Japan relations rapidly freeze. Japan is removed from the whitelist. Economic exchanges freeze. Security threats increase. We lose leverage to counter the North-China-Russia alliance. The chances of success are uncertain.

The way the real world works is closer to a complex system. In bilateral diplomacy, there is no such thing as a "zero-sum" or "binary" approach. It would be refreshing if Japan apologized every time we meet. But Korea-Japan relations are not simple. The principle of cause and effect does not apply. Usually, national interests often clash head-on. Both countries negotiate fiercely, considering domestic public opinion, foreign and domestic affairs. Japan owes us a debt over the forced labor compensation solution. We need good relations with Japan to enter the G8. In international politics governed by survival of the fittest, a "clean victory" is hard to come by.

Political scientist Bernard Manin explained that representative democracy is based on the belief in "the wisdom of the elected group" and "refining and amplifying public opinion to produce voices that align with the public good." Are elected officials truly composed of outstanding citizens? Looking at the current political situation, isn’t it filled with people whose logical structures have been brainwashed by "easy clarity" rather than "complex righteousness"? When this becomes public opinion, the dense public discourse of pros and cons becomes one-dimensional. The essence of diplomacy, which should be solved by multivariate equations, is damaged.

Diplomacy has its particularities. All citizens are stakeholders and parties involved. Turning it into a political struggle as an "extreme situation that can never be reconciled" rather than "finding common ground to resolve" is unhelpful. The reciprocal visit was made in less than two months. You cannot be satisfied at the first attempt. It must be viewed with a long-term perspective. The process of changing Japan’s recognition of its past and obtaining an apology is the same. We must continuously go through the stage of give-and-take (il-deuk-il-sil), carefully and meticulously changing step by step.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.