Today’s news story comes from Seoul, where a coalition of business owners are set to begin a boycott on March 1 of Japanese products. The story can be found here, as reported by the Korea Herald via Asia News Network. the group is organizing this boycott in protest over Japan’s recent celebration of Takeshima, the Korean islets known as Dokdo.
The groups involved total more than 6 million members are represent about 80% of all Japanese product vendors in Korea. The brands they represent are some of the most recognizable such as Mild Seven cigarettes, Asahi beer, Nikon cameras, Uniqlo clothes, Sony electronics, Toyota, Lexus and Honda cars. The group has proven effective in their strategies before, having successfully forced big-box retailers to close in Seoul and got two major credit card companies to lower rates.
In the past usually groups target the Japanese government whenever a Takeshima ownership statement is released, in fact the Park Geun-hye’s office reminded Japan that Dokdo is Korean territory and their actions are unacceptable. This move is different, as it directly attacks Japan where it could actually do some damage. Since the Japanese economy is in trouble, some even say in a recession, if the boycott is successful and Japanese products are taken off the shelves, it could put enough pressure on Japanese companies to have them exert pressure on their government to finally address the issue and bring it to resolution.
I’m not sure this boycott will work, but I think the strategy is fairly ingenious and better than directly engaging the Japanese government. What do you think? Will the boycott be successful? Is it a good strategy?
http://dimitrislens.blogspot.com/ Dimitri
I do not think the boycott will be successful, as it is very unlikely that the Japanese government will show any flexibility with respect to its stance on these islets.
I actually hope the boycott will have no impact. It is not the role of private companies to influence a country’s foreign policy. Even though I do not agree with the Japanese government on this issue, I would be concerned if they were changing their policy just because a handful of companies requested a move.
It would also send a very wrong signal, that other countries would no doubt take advantage of, (e.g. China and Russia on other territorial disputes, Western countries on currency exchange rate disagreements, and so on).
As far as the actual dispute is concerned, I think the leaders of both countries are playing a very cynical and dangerous game, trying to maximise domestic political gains at the expense of peaceful collaboration and economic development between the two countries.
Neither government really wants the issue to be resolved. They just want the other side to give up. If they really wanted resolution, they would go to international authorities and make their case. Korea is refusing this, and it is very possible that the only reason why Japan proposed this method is because they knew Korea would not accept.
Whichever country ends up controlling the rocks would have trouble obtaining an exclusive economic zone anyway (as they are not really inhabitable without regular supplies from the main land), so the tension around the issue is not about the economic value of the islets. It is about national pride, and nothing good ever comes out of it, (as History has shown over and over again).
Consumer Groups Set To Boycott Japan
Today’s news story comes from Seoul, where a coalition of business owners are set to begin a boycott on March 1 of Japanese products. The story can be found here, as reported by the Korea Herald via Asia News Network. the group is organizing this boycott in protest over Japan’s recent celebration of Takeshima, the Korean islets known as Dokdo.
The groups involved total more than 6 million members are represent about 80% of all Japanese product vendors in Korea. The brands they represent are some of the most recognizable such as Mild Seven cigarettes, Asahi beer, Nikon cameras, Uniqlo clothes, Sony electronics, Toyota, Lexus and Honda cars. The group has proven effective in their strategies before, having successfully forced big-box retailers to close in Seoul and got two major credit card companies to lower rates.
In the past usually groups target the Japanese government whenever a Takeshima ownership statement is released, in fact the Park Geun-hye’s office reminded Japan that Dokdo is Korean territory and their actions are unacceptable. This move is different, as it directly attacks Japan where it could actually do some damage. Since the Japanese economy is in trouble, some even say in a recession, if the boycott is successful and Japanese products are taken off the shelves, it could put enough pressure on Japanese companies to have them exert pressure on their government to finally address the issue and bring it to resolution.
I’m not sure this boycott will work, but I think the strategy is fairly ingenious and better than directly engaging the Japanese government. What do you think? Will the boycott be successful? Is it a good strategy?