Shibuya Hiroshi, after imbibing too much sake, floated a bold proposal: establishing the world’s third-largest military power.
On October 29, during an appearance in Tokyo at the "International Korean Peninsula Forum" hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, former Japanese Prime Minister Shiba Hiroshi suggested that if Japan and South Korea were to achieve "force coordination," their combined population of 170 million and GDP exceeding $6 trillion—surpassing Germany’s—could position their defense capabilities among the world’s top three.
The premise underlying this statement, however, is the withdrawal of U.S. forces from East Asia, leaving Japan and South Korea to fend for themselves. Shiba’s remarks appear aimed at bolstering South Korean morale, proposing a strategic alliance that would elevate both nations to global military prominence.
Yet the comment risks provoking strong reactions in Seoul. Japan’s colonial rule over Korea lasted nearly a century, a chapter that remains deeply sensitive and unresolved in South Korea’s historical memory.
It is akin to stirring up an open wound. Shiba’s vision, while framed as cooperation, touches on a historically charged issue. Despite rhetorical calls for unity, the weight of past grievances raises serious questions about whether such a strategic entanglement could gain domestic acceptance in South Korea.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881004921703562/
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