The Question of South Korean Participation in the Japanese Peace Treaty

This article examines why South Korea could not sign the Japanese peace treaty. Using American, British and Korean records, it shows that South Korea’s exclusion from the treaty owed to international and Korean domestic factors. While the US, the most important decision-maker in crafting the peace treaty, sought to invite South Korea as a signatory as part of the effort to build up the legitimacy of that government, Britain was adamantly against it. London reasoned that South Korea was neither a former belligerent that fought against Japan nor legally an independent country, and thus not entitled to sign the treaty. Furthermore, Britain worried that inviting the non-communist South Korea could dissuade neutralist Asian states from co-signing the treaty. Japan was equally against having its former colony (Korea) sign the peace treaty, arguing that Koreans might use this as a pretext to demand compensation, which would damage the US schemes to rebuild Japanese economy. But most notably, South Korea itself indicated willingness to forgo signing the treaty. When pressed for time, the US decided to exclude South Korea and proceed promptly with a Japanese peace settlement

Business · China · Government (linguistics · Legitimacy · Peace treaty · Political science · Politics · Pretext · Settlement (finance · Sign (mathematics · Treaty · Japanese History and Culture · Law

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