Transitional Justice between Consolidated Democracies
A Focus on Japan–South Korea Relations
This theoretical study examines the Korean ‘comfort women’ dispute and its impact on diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea to explore how the pool of transitional justice can be exploited for diplomatic reconciliation. Korean ‘comfort women’ refers to the more than two hundred thousand Korean girls and women forcibly recruited as sexual slaves for the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War. The main research question guiding this paper is how can measures of tr...
Éditeur : Graduate Institute Publications
Lieu d’édition : Geneva
Publication sur OpenEdition Books : 13 janvier 2025
ISBN numérique : 978-2-940600-59-5
DOI : 10.4000/132hs
Collection : eCahiers de l’Institut | 55
Année d’édition : 2025
This theoretical study examines the Korean ‘comfort women’ dispute and its impact on diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea to explore how the pool of transitional justice can be exploited for diplomatic reconciliation. Korean ‘comfort women’ refers to the more than two hundred thousand Korean girls and women forcibly recruited as sexual slaves for the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War. The main research question guiding this paper is how can measures of transitional justice (TJ) contribute to a long-term reconciliation of diplomatic bilateral relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea. This case study demonstrates how TJ can transcend its traditional definitions and be adapted in diverse contexts for various scopes. It seeks to challenge and reinterpret the current literature on TJ by extending its normative purposes beyond conflict prevention and democratisation. Through the Japan-Republic of Korea example, the research uses TJ revelatory measures of truth-telling and collective memory to normalise unsettled interstate diplomatic relations between two consolidated democracies. Using a sociological and historical perspective, this work is an attempt to explore a novel application of TJ, contributing to the scholarly debate by demonstrating the enormous potential of TJ to be remodelled to non-transitioning and non-conflicting contexts that have yet to address historical legacies of past atrocities.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Vahabzadeh Foundation for financially supporting the publication of best works by young researchers of the Graduate Institute, giving a priority to those who have been awarded academic prizes for their master’s dissertations.
Maira Cardillo is an Italian graduate currently based in Geneva, Switzerland, with experience in international affairs and human rights advocacy. She recently completed her Master’s Degree in International and Development Studies, with a specialisation in Human Rights and Humanitarianism at the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID). The following research project was partly conducted during an exchange semester at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Her broader research interests include humanitarian assistance, justice and reconciliation, conflict management, peace making and diplomacy, community-driven development efforts and sustainable digital solutions.

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