South Korea, North Korea, and Japan have had disputes concerning many things. Korea and Japan hadn't have a friendly relationship in history, even today; however, the countries are trying to maintain cooperation and friendship. These below are some of the issues that are still argued about.
Corea/Korea
Some South Koreans claim that Japanese intentionally promoted the spelling of Korea instead of Corea during the colonial era, the reason being that K comes after J in the Latin alphabet. In 1594, the map created by Petrus Plancius of the Netherlands is known to be the oldest existing map in Europe that made reference to Korea with the marking Corea.
Dok-do/Takeshima
Small uninhabited islets between Japan and Korea, also known as the Liancourt Rocks, which are currently occupied by the Korean navy. Called "Takeshima" in Japanese and "Dok-do" in Korean, their sovereignty has long been disputed among Japan, South Korea, and (less vigorously) North Korea.
East Sea/Sea of Japan
See Dispute over the name Sea of Japan
Hangeul/Jindai-Moji
Called Jindai-Moji in Japanese, and Sindae-Munja in Korean. It is a series of scripts that the Japanese created at their height of nationalism. Some scripts looked similar to Chinese, but the Ahiru (rarely called Ahillu) script was one of the few that resembled the Korean writing system, Hangeul. The nationalists claimed that the scripts were the creation of Shinto gods. Today, the Jindai-Moji's fake origins are pointed out by many scholars; however, some scholars consider it one of Hangeul's earlier forms.
Since regaining independence from Japan after World War II, South Korea has persistently enforced anti-Japanese policies. Some historians believe the resentment arose due to Koreans adopting many aspects of Japanese culture as they modernized their industry. Before and during World War II, occupying Japanese forces applied policies of enforced assimilation among Koreans, further causing some of the anti-Japanese ideology in Korea.
Anti-Koreanism is not strong in Japan, though some degree of nationalism against resident alians, many of which are Koreans, may be present.
Anti-NORTH Koreanism get boiled recently (in 2003) in Japan.
Japan opposes the claimed North Korean development of nuclear weapons, stating it is a direct threat to Japan's national security. North Korea's stated position is that this is a matter for discussion solely between North Korea and the USA.
In 2002, Kim Jong Il of North Korea stated that North Korean agents had kidnapped Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s, apparently as a method of training. Five of these abducted Japanese have been allowed to return to Japan, but others may have been abducted, and if so, they remain in North Korea. A dispute continues over the ability of the children and relatives of these five abductees to join their parents in Japan.
Also see:
Korean Government Policies
North Korean nuclear weapons claims
North Korean kidnapping of Japanese citizens
