President Yoon Seok-yeol expressed his position that cooperation with Japan is essential to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat and protect global supply chains.
In a written interview published by Reuters, AFP, and Bloomberg News on the 15th, President Yoon said, “The need for cooperation between South Korea and Japan is increasing at this point in time when the nuclear and missile threat from North Korea is escalating and the global supply chain is collapsing.” You can’t waste time neglecting a relationship.”
“I expect that Korea and Japan, world trade and manufacturing powerhouses, will create tremendous synergies if they cooperate in the field of technology,” he said.
“Korea and Japan each have close economic ties with China,” he said.
President Yoon’s remarks are interpreted as coming from expectations that Japan will lift its export controls through the preparation of a solution to compensation for the damages caused by forced labor.
After Japan ruled in October and November 2018 against the defendant companies (Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) to compensate victims of forced labor, in July of the following year it imposed export control measures on three key semiconductor and display materials, including hydrogen fluoride. carried out In addition, the following month, in August, Korea was excluded from the white list.
As South Korea has come up with a solution to forced labor, it is expected that Japan will respond by lifting export controls, strengthening triangular cooperation among South Korea, the US, and Japan.
Along with this, President Yoon adhered to a tough stance on the North Korean nuclear issue. “The current North Korean nuclear situation is different from the past and threatens peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond,” President Yoon said. We will put pressure on it,” he said.
He added, “Since the complete denuclearization of North Korea is the clear and unchanging goal of the international community, the Republic of Korea will not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power under any circumstances.”
“If the North Korean regime uses the money spent on nuclear and missile development to improve people’s livelihood, it will easily solve the food crisis,” he said.
Regarding domestic criticism that the forced labor bill did not actually hold Japanese companies accountable, he dismissed it, saying, “Japan has expressed deep remorse and sincere apologies for past colonial rule through the position of previous governments.”
Meanwhile, President Yoon will hold a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after arriving in Tokyo on the 16th.
President Yoon’s visit to Japan is expected to be the starting point for the restoration of shuttle diplomacy between Korea and Japan, which has been suspended for 12 years. Shuttle diplomacy between Korea and Japan was suspended after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited Korea in October 2011 and former President Lee Myung-bak visited Japan in December of the same year.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.