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Korea-Japan relations unlikely to improve under new PM
2020-09-07 18:36
Historical conflicts may remain under Suga
By Do Je-hae
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a frontrunner to succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is showing a hardline stance on historical issues with South Korea.
His stance shows that if he becomes the next prime minister, the chilled Korea-Japan relations over the compensation issue for surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor are unlikely to improve soon.
In an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun, Monday, he said he would conduct a "stern response" to Korea's "breach of international law."
The remark referred to the South Korean Supreme Court's October 2018 ruling that ordered Japanese companies to compensate surviving South Koreans forced to work for them during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation of Korea. Tokyo has firmly resisted the ruling and claimed that the issue of wartime compensation was resolved under the 1965 South Korea-Japan bilateral treaty for normalizing relations. Tokyo has claimed Seoul is breaching international law by "violating" the treaty.
In a Sankei Shimbun interview, Sunday, Suga made it clear that the 1965 treaty is the basis of the two nations' relations and the two countries must respect it.
Suga, who has a big lead in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party election to be held on Sept. 14 for the prime minister position, announced last week that he "will continue Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's fully devoted work and effort to make further progress," according to the Yomiuri Shimbum.
The remarks are seen to suggest that despite the upcoming change in Japanese leadership, there will be no drastic changes in Japan's rigid position regarding issues with South Korea, including the history and trade rows that have aggravated bilateral relations to the worst level since ties were normalized in the 1960s.
Suga's hardline position on South Korea is raising concerns that any improvements in South Korea-Japan relations will continue to be a long shot and that the new Japanese leader will not respond to Cheong Wa Dae's hopes to improve ties.
"Our government will continue to work with Japan's newly elected prime minister and new cabinet to promote friendly and cooperative relations between South Korea and Japan," the presidential office said in a statement after Abe's resignation announcement.
Experts have underlined improving relations between the leaders of the two countries as a priority, but that has not happened under Abe. The two leaders have not communicated since a summit on the sidelines of a South Korea-Japan-China summit in Chengdu, China, in December 2019.
Besides the forced labor ruling issue, South Korea and Japan have also been at odds over a foundation for the survivors of wartime sex slavery established under a bilateral agreement between former President Park Geun-hye and Abe. The foundation has been virtually closed under the Moon Jae-in administration, which has claimed that the agreement did not reflect the opinions of the victims. Tokyo has claimed this is also a breach of a bilateral agreement.
During the announcement of six major policies on Sept. 5, Suga did not mention South Korea, which suggests a lack of diplomatic priority in improving ties with Seoul. With regard to diplomacy, Suga stressed the importance of developing foreign and security policies based on a U.S.-Japan alliance and "building stable relations with China and other neighboring countries." He also said the government would aim to resolve the issue of abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea, a subject in which Abe failed to make much progress.
In this regard, Suga said he was willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss the issue.
www.koreatimes.co.kr
2020-09-07 18:36
Historical conflicts may remain under Suga
By Do Je-hae
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a frontrunner to succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is showing a hardline stance on historical issues with South Korea.
His stance shows that if he becomes the next prime minister, the chilled Korea-Japan relations over the compensation issue for surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor are unlikely to improve soon.
In an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun, Monday, he said he would conduct a "stern response" to Korea's "breach of international law."
The remark referred to the South Korean Supreme Court's October 2018 ruling that ordered Japanese companies to compensate surviving South Koreans forced to work for them during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation of Korea. Tokyo has firmly resisted the ruling and claimed that the issue of wartime compensation was resolved under the 1965 South Korea-Japan bilateral treaty for normalizing relations. Tokyo has claimed Seoul is breaching international law by "violating" the treaty.
In a Sankei Shimbun interview, Sunday, Suga made it clear that the 1965 treaty is the basis of the two nations' relations and the two countries must respect it.
Suga, who has a big lead in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party election to be held on Sept. 14 for the prime minister position, announced last week that he "will continue Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's fully devoted work and effort to make further progress," according to the Yomiuri Shimbum.
The remarks are seen to suggest that despite the upcoming change in Japanese leadership, there will be no drastic changes in Japan's rigid position regarding issues with South Korea, including the history and trade rows that have aggravated bilateral relations to the worst level since ties were normalized in the 1960s.
Suga's hardline position on South Korea is raising concerns that any improvements in South Korea-Japan relations will continue to be a long shot and that the new Japanese leader will not respond to Cheong Wa Dae's hopes to improve ties.
"Our government will continue to work with Japan's newly elected prime minister and new cabinet to promote friendly and cooperative relations between South Korea and Japan," the presidential office said in a statement after Abe's resignation announcement.
Experts have underlined improving relations between the leaders of the two countries as a priority, but that has not happened under Abe. The two leaders have not communicated since a summit on the sidelines of a South Korea-Japan-China summit in Chengdu, China, in December 2019.
Besides the forced labor ruling issue, South Korea and Japan have also been at odds over a foundation for the survivors of wartime sex slavery established under a bilateral agreement between former President Park Geun-hye and Abe. The foundation has been virtually closed under the Moon Jae-in administration, which has claimed that the agreement did not reflect the opinions of the victims. Tokyo has claimed this is also a breach of a bilateral agreement.
During the announcement of six major policies on Sept. 5, Suga did not mention South Korea, which suggests a lack of diplomatic priority in improving ties with Seoul. With regard to diplomacy, Suga stressed the importance of developing foreign and security policies based on a U.S.-Japan alliance and "building stable relations with China and other neighboring countries." He also said the government would aim to resolve the issue of abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea, a subject in which Abe failed to make much progress.
In this regard, Suga said he was willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss the issue.
Korea-Japan relations unlikely to improve under new PM
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a frontrunner to succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is showing a hardline stance on historical issues with South Korea. His stance shows that if he becomes the next prime minister, the chilled Korea-Japan relations over the compensation...
www.koreatimes.co.kr
