Gideon Rachman
This blog covers a variety of topics from US foreign policy to European politics and the Middle East - and whatever else happens to be in the news or catch my attention. I joined the FT as chief foreign affairs commentator in 2006, after a 15-year career at The Economist which included stints as a correspondent in Brussels, Bangkok and Washington. I write a weekly column on foreign affairs, which appears in the paper on Tuesdays. Occasionally my FT colleagues contribute posts to this blog.
Japan’s South Korea complex
일본의 한국 열등감
March 3, 2010 10:31pm
I expected the Japanese to be feeling anxious about China, what with the much-ballyhooed moment later this year, when the Chinese economy will become larger than that of Japan. What I hadn’t expected to find was increasing alarm about South Korea - a poorer, smaller country that was once colonised by Japan.
한국을 알게되기 전까지는 중국만이 일본이 경계하는 국가라고 생각했다. 한국은 일본의 식민지였으며, 가난하고 작은 국가였다.
But, as it happens, the Japanese are increasingly contrasting their own struggles with Korean success. The most recent cause of anxiety was the Winter Olympics.
하지만, 최근 한국의 성공을 일본인들이 경계하고 있다. 특히 최근의 동계 올림픽에서.
The South Koreans did brilliantly and came fifth in the medals table with six gold medals. The Japanese didn’t win any golds at all - and only got five medals of any colour.
한국이 벤쿠버 동계 올림픽에서 6개의 금메달을 획득했지만, 일본은 1개도 얻지 못했다.
To the Japanese, the Olympics seem unpleasantly symbolic. The South Korean economy also seems to be doing much better than Japan’s. South Korea managed to grow (just) in 2009, while Japanese GDP shrank by over 5%. In the latest quarter, South Korea grew by 6% while Japan was still in recession.
올림픽의 성적은 경제에서도 일본의 불길한 징조로 상징하는 듯하다. 한국의 경제는 일본보다 상황이 좋다. 한국은 2009년 플러스 성장한 반면, 일본은 5%는 하락했으며, 최근 4분기에서 한국은 6%성장하는 동안에 일본은 여전히 정체되고 있었다.
South Korean business is also excelling. While famous Japanese brands, most obviously Toyota, are struggling, the Koreans are excelling. Samsung is now the most profitable consumer-electronics firm in the world.
도요타 리콜 문제로 일본 브랜드가 추락하지만, 삼성은 최고의 전자 회사로 우뚝섰다.
