한일 외교협력의 전개와 50년의 평가

Abstract

The cooperative relations between ROK and Japan were institutionalized not only in terms of economic cooperation but also diplomatic cooperation during the Cold War. The ROK tried creating a favorable environment for ROK’s initiated reunification by winning the regime competition against DPRK based upon the consolidation of the ‘Free World’ anticommunist block and the U.S.-ROK alliance. In other words, ROK tried consolidating the U.S.-ROK alliance, acquiring many countries’ support for ROK’s positions in the UN at maximum, and demonstrating ROK’s presence among the socialist countries which had supported DPRK exclusively. Both ROK and Japan successfully prevented the U.S. administration from withdrawing the U.S. military from ROK. And Japan assisted ROK’s initiative in enlarging diplomatic relations with socialist countries, ROK’s competitive diplomacy against DPRK concerning the normalization with the Third World countries, and ROK’s diplomatic activity for making majority for supporting ROK’s positions against DPRK’s positions in the UN. In conclusion, ROK-Japan diplomatic cooperation was achieved successfully under the condition that the relations were asymmetrical and complementary. However it can be successful even if the relations are symmetrical and competitive. That is because both ROK and Japan could persuade the U.S. to join the engagement policy toward DPRK in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This year, 2015, is the 50th anniversary of ROK-Japan normalization in 1965. It is important for ROK and Japan to reflect not only on the negative side of this 50 year's relations but also on the positive side and success story of these diplomatic cooperation and then to make sure how to promote the diplomatic cooperation actually.