ADRN

Korea and Japan are two countries of both geographic and historic proximity. Yet they face difficulties in developing cooperative relations owing to differences in their perceptions of historical events. Exchange and cooperation are needed not only on the national security and political fronts, but also in other realms such as culture and the economy. In order to help develop Korea-Japan bilateral relations and increase mutual understanding, EAI conducts public opinion surveys of both Korean and Japanese citizens on major bilateral and regional issues in partnership with Japan's Genron NPO. The survey is composed of questions that address a variety of subjects ranging from historical issues such as the Japanese military and comfort women, cooperation efforts between Japan and Korea in culture and tourism, democratic issues such as the media and civil society, and others relating to peace and security in Northeast Asia including the North Korean nuclear threat. The results are published and disseminated annually and alternately through the Seoul and Tokyo press, and the results of the survey are used to inform the agenda for the "Korea-Japan Future Dialogue," a roundtable where experts from both countries discuss potential pathways for future cooperation between Korea and Japan. The Korea-Japan public opinion survey is a part of a larger EAI effort to enlighten the regional audience of different public perceptions within East Asia.