WILAYAH: The International Journal of East Asian Studies

The Ulleungdo Dispute of 1693 and the Myth of Japan's Sovereignty over Dokdo

Kyu-hyun Jo — 2025-03-31

I examine the Ulleungdo Dispute of 1693 to demonstrate that Ulleungdo and Dokdo were already confirmed to be Korean territories in 1693 and that Japan did not "discover" these islands and own them in the late 17th Century. The Dajokan Directive of 1877 later reconfirmed this fact. Collectively, the Ulleungdo Dispute and the Dajokan Directive not only show that Japan did not establish sovereignty over Dokdo in the late 17th century, but also clearly demonstrate that Korea had legitimately won the Ulleungdo Dispute and that the conclusion of the Dispute still retains its historicity and legality by remaining valid for over a century. Finally, this article clearly demonstrates that it was impossible for the Dajokan Directive to have confused the identity of Takeshima because it reaffirmed the conclusion drawn from the Ulleungdo Dispute of 1693 which confirmed Dokdo and Ulleungdo to be adjacent Korean territories.

Self-Strengthement Movement and 100 Days Reforms through Classical Elites Theory

Shota Mgeladze — 2025-03-31

The paper used the comparative case study model to test the assumptions of classical elite theory. Analyzing the Chinese reformation attempt during the Qing dynasty revealed the limited scope of actions of the leaders. The existence of national elites limits their political environment. However, leaders' motivations and strategies can vary by choosing different factions. Analyzing such relations is the key to understanding why reformation was carried out or not successfully. Theoretical test of classical elites' assumptions revealed that they can explain how elites keep the power, but further elaboration is needed whether reforms can succed or fail.

Revealing the Environmental Ideology behind Anti-Nuclear Discourse in Japan Post Fukushima 3.11

Moh Gandhi Amanullah — 2025-03-31

Anti-nuclear discourse in Japan gained a momentum after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in 2011. The impact of nuclear on the environment is one of the issues widely concerned in the anti-nuclear discourse. However, the ideological orientation of environmental perspectives within Japan’s anti-nuclear discourse remains underexplored. This study aims to examine environmental ideology embedded in anti-nuclear discourse by analyzing articles from Hangenpatsu Shinbun, an alternative anti-nuclear newspaper in Japan by using critical discourse analysis. The theoretical framework used as a lens to guide the research is the environmental ideology theorized by Julia Corbett. The findings reveal that the environmental ideology of anti-nuclear discourse in the media is predominantly anthropocentric and conservationist, with limited representation of ecocentric or ecological ideologies. This anthropocentric bias suggests that the discourse prioritizes human interest, often subordinating environmental concerns. Such a perspective bias perpetuating environmental policies that fail to address long-term sustainability. To mitigate this limitation, anti-nuclear discourse in Japan should adopt a more ecocentric approach, such as deep ecology. This shift would recognize the intrinsic value of nature and promotes a holistic, sustainable relationship between humans and ecosystems, contributing to the development of more balanced environmental policies for the future.

Navigating Constraints Indonesian Workers’ Experiences under Korea’s EPS

Taihyeon On — 2025-03-31

This paper explores the experiences of Indonesian migrant workers in terms of job mobility and agency within the Employment Permit System in South Korea. The research relies on Strong Structuration Theory to analyze how external constraints—legislative laws and control by employers—interact with internal factors such as economic goals and sociocultural barriers that impact migrant workers' decision-making. Semi-structured interviews with Indonesian laborers showed the systemic problems due to sectoral inequalities, such as vulnerabilities brought about in the industry of fishing. Evidence shows restricted job mobility policies heightening the employees' dependence upon the employer, thus limitations to freedom and encouragement towards precarious situations. Employees try to get through such restrictions by strategic choice and through informal networks.

Keywords: Employment Permit System, Job mobility, Strong Structuration Theory, Temporary Labor Migration, Indonesian migrant workers

Pembakar Jambatan Antara Dua Negara: Sentimen Anti-Jepun dalam Filem Korea Selatan

Asmadi Hassan — 2025-03-31

A film usually contains certain ideology which is able to influence the audience. The ideology in the film is neatly structured in order to be accepted by society naturally. This article discusses an anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea films which are perceived as an ideology that ultimately damaging the bilateral relations of the both countries. Three films were selected to study the anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea namely Spirit Homecoming, The Battleship Island and Anarchist from Colony. The selection of these films is based on the issues connected between the past and the current issues that have yet to be resolved. The first theme is the severe experience by the Comfort Women and the second is the poor treatment of Koreans who were taken/went to Japan during colonialism period. This study applies a qualitative approach which is the primary resources obtained from news reports and observation of the films. While secondary resources are from journal articles and books. The study found that the films have been responsible for the spread of anti-Japanese ideology to South Korean society. As a result, it has influenced the people and consequently causing hatred among them. It then resulted to damaging the relations between the two countries which has already been tension by the colonialism and current issues. Eventually, the film which was supposed to be used as a platform for the good relations between the two countries became burner to those relations.

Korean Multiculturalism and the Emergence of Foreign Brides in South Korea

Min Lee — 2025-03-31

Multiculturalism is a universal trend in most countries that have an influx of migrants. However, it is a recent phenomenon in South Korea which prides itself of having a homogenous society. This article examines multicultural marriages and discusses the emergence of female marriage migrants who are in part responsible in creating a multicultural Korea. This research uses a qualitative approach where existing literature, databases and other previously published materials have been used to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between foreign brides who have come into Korea through multicultural marriages which in the long run has contributed greatly to forming a multicultural Korean society. Despite several challenges, findings suggests that female marriage migrants are now acknowledged as one of the catalysts in the transformation of Korean society from a homogenous one to that of a multicultural entity. This is seen in the various laws adopted to integrate foreign brides and their offspring. However, though this is happening, the process of integration between foreign brides and the Korea pubic in general has a long way to go.

The Dilemma of Dual Heritage: Nationality Selection among Japanese-Singaporean Multinational Children

Kayoko Matsumura — 2025-03-31

In this study, we examined which significant factors influence the nationality choice of Japanese children who are also multinational backgrounds. With 3.5 out of every 100 couples being intermarried; the number of multinational children is steadily increasing. A significant number of Japanese multinational children have expressed concern about their nationality due to Japan’s concept of the one-person-one-nationality law. However, there is a limited number of research that have investigated nationality choices and their ensuing impact. To address this gap, this study applies a qualitative approach, conducting interviews with individuals who had already selected their nationality in which we focused on (1) language influences, (2) environmental factors, and (3) family impacts. The survey led to the following findings: (1) the language spoken at home had a stronger influence on nationality choice; (2) although the environment and upbringing had no direct relation to nationality choice, they did have an impact on the individual’s identity formation; and (3) the mother’s perspectives on nationality selection and the father’s role as both husband and father in the home has had an impact. It is vital to realise that there are instances in which Japanese who have other roots but live in Japan and speak Japanese struggle to establish a Japanese identity and to consider how those people may develop a Japanese identity.

Editorial Note

Asmadi Hassan — 2025-03-31