서강대학교

초록/요약

Japan’s impenitence about its tarnished past, and the negative consequences that it has had on prospects for European-like reconciliation in East Asia, are widely known. Like any problem related to conflict resolution, however, the process of interstate reconciliation is inevitably one that is many-sided. According to Thomas Berger’s five-point strategy for successful interstate reconciliation, a degree of what he refers to as reciprocity on the part of those from victimized nations is one essential ingredient of this perplexing process. Reciprocity, in the context of this study, can be understood as a willingness of those from historically-aggrieved nations to accept the reconciliation efforts (e.g. apologies, compensation) of their former victimizer state(s). This thesis, therefore, shall explore the merits of the concept of reciprocity as it relates to matters of interstate reconciliation, with specific attention paid to the states of China, Korea, and their historical victimizer Japan. Through a survey of persons hailing from these two historically-aggrieved nations, a causal relationship is tested between the act of living overseas outside of one’s native country and its potential impact on reciprocity. From this perspective, results are discussed and conclusions are drawn. While the findings do not ultimately reveal a decisively binding relationship between the two variables, evidence of a positive corollary trend becomes apparent. The practical implications of such a theoretically causal relationship between time spent living overseas by persons from historically-victimized nations and reciprocity could be considerable for the future state of interstate reconciliation efforts in East Asia.