Tochak Waegu

The term is commonly used to criticize South Korean conservatives' foreign policy toward Japan. It is also used as a derogatory expression of those who show a de-nationalist view of Japan that deviates from the existing Korean nationalist view, or even partially sympathize with Japanese historical revisionism. Therefore, Tochak Waagu is considered a self-hating Korean. In South Korea, liberals and progressives are more nationalistic about Japan than conservatives.[3]

Some South Korean scholars argue that among South Koreans, Empire of Japan should be defended or Japanese historical revisionist supporters should be criminalised,[4] which, according to them, has the same legitimacy as many European countries criminalise Neo-Nazism or Holocaust denial.[5] However, such legislation has not been introduced in South Korea as to not hinder freedom of speech.[4]

In South Korean politics, liberals or progressives and conservatives tend to criticize each other as "pro-Japan" and "Pro-Pyongyang" (or "Jongbuk").[2] South Korea has historically experienced Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War, so the "pro-Japan" is regarded as the "fascist" (Korean: 파시스트)[6] or "far-right"[7][4] and the "Pro-Pyongyang" as the "ppalgaengi" (Korean: 빨갱이; lit. reds)[8] or "far-left".[9] Thus, South Korean politicians (mainly liberal politicians) equate "Tochak Waegu" with "far-right".[3]

Yoon Suk Yeol has been the president of South Korea since 2022. Yoon Suk Yeol and Yoon governments are accused by many South Koreans of being "pro-Japanese colonialist". Even some of Yoon's supporters oppose his pro-Japanese diplomacy.[10][11] Unlike existing South Korean politicians, Yoon Suk Yeol does not demand an apology and damage compensation from Japan on issues related to Japanese colonial rule and Japanese war crimes.[12] Yoon has also consistently declined to comment on controversial issues, including 2018 Japan–South Korea radar lock-on dispute, issue related to Japanese opposition to the construction of Statue of Peace and Liancourt Rocks dispute.[10][11][13]

According to statistics from April 2023, 90.3% of South Koreans are dissatisfied with Yoon Suk Yeol's diplomacy with Japan. (However, this is not against Yoon Suk Yeol's overall policy, but against Yoon Suk Yeol's policy toward Japan.)[10][11]

"Sin-chinilpa" (Korean: 신친일파; Hanja: 新親日派; lit. new pro-Japan faction") is used in a similar sense to "Tochak Waegu". The term "Sin-chinilpa" was first proposed by non-Korean Japanese-born naturalized South Korean and South Korean liberal historian Yuji Hosaka, and is frequently used by South Korean media and netizens.[14][15][16]

The term Tochak Waegu itself is a slanderous term for South Korean conservatives, not Japanese people, but this term is sometimes used as a political hate speech to slander Japanese people living in South Korea.[20][21] This is also related to the South Koreans' perception that Japanese people are perpetrators, not victims of racism.[22][23] Some Koreans see the term "Waegu" as a racist rhetoric against Japanese people, but others argue that it is not racist.[24]

A column in the JoongAng Ilbo, a moderate conservative media, criticized the expression Tochak Waegu as similar to [liberal version] McCarthyism.[25] In an article written in the centre-left liberal media Hankyoreh, left-wing socialist Hong Se-hwa criticized it as "[liberal] government-led nationalism" (Korean: 관제 민족주의) that has nothing to do with left-wing nationalism and criticized right-wing Japanese nationalism and hostile symbiosis.[26]

• Anti-imperialism
• Black Skin, White Masks
• Chinilpa – a pro-Japanese Korean political mafia term
• Democratic Party of Korea – anti-Tochak Waegu (liberal) political party
• Harki – These are 'indigenous Algerians' (or 'native Algerians'), but they cooperated with France during the Algerian War.
• Japanese fascism
• Jjokbari
• New Right (South Korea)
• No Japan Movement
• Park Yu-ha
• Progressive Party (South Korea, 2017) – anti-Tochak Waegu (NL) political party
• Self-hating Jew
• Uncle Tom