尹 attends a joint event between the Federation of Korean Industries and Gyeongdanren… “Korea and Japan have a lot of room for cooperation in high-tech new industries”
Kishida “Efforts to overcome bilateral tasks through trust”… Measures to comply with the draft resolution law have not been revealed for the second day
Japanese media “Kishida invites you to the G7 in May”
Korea and Japan agreed to expand economic and security cooperation at the summit meeting between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. is widening
On the 17th, President Yoon attended a Korea-Japan business round table hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and the Federation of Japanese Business Entities (Keidanren) at the Keidanren Hall in Tokyo, and said, “The two countries have various global issues such as supply chain, climate change, advanced science and technology, and economic security. We will jointly cooperate and respond to the agenda,” he said. “There is a lot of room for cooperation between the two countries in the future high-tech new industries such as digital conversion, semiconductors, batteries, and electric vehicles.” It emphasized its will to cooperate not only with the United States but also with Japan in reorganizing the global supply chain in the semiconductor, battery, and electric vehicle sectors. In particular, President Yoon said, “Korean semiconductor manufacturing companies are closely linked in supply chains with Japanese semiconductor materials and equipment companies.”
It is the first time in 14 years that a Korean president has attended an event for Korean and Japanese businessmen since the ‘Korea-Japan Businessmen Conference’ held during President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to Japan in June 2009. However, Prime Minister Kishida’s expected attendance did not materialize.
Prime Minister Kishida said at a press conference that day, “There are several challenges between the two countries that need to be overcome. I think I want to make an effort to overcome each other based on a relationship of mutual trust and move toward the future.” The Korean government’s response to the ‘third party reimbursement proposal’ was not mentioned that day either. As President Yoon returned to Korea that day, it is evaluated that how sincerely Prime Minister Kishida and the defendant companies will come up with responsive measures on the issue of apology, reflection, compensation, and contribution to the victims of forced labor has emerged as a key variable in restoring Korea-Japan relations in the future.
In preparation for the summit, the South Korean government and the ruling party are reported to have asked the Japanese side to mention Prime Minister Kishida’s “deep remorse and apology for colonial rule” contained in the 1998 Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration. The South Korean and Japanese governments also discussed a plan to reveal the defendant company’s participation in the Future Partnership Fund funded by the Federation of Korean Industries and Japan Keidanren in line with President Yoon’s visit to Japan. However, no mention was made of Japan on either issue. When Prime Minister Kishida visited Korea, it was only when he made progress in apology and reflection, or the defendant company participated in the Future Fund, that President Yoon could persuade public opinion. An official from the presidential office said, “This meeting and discussion is not the end, but the beginning.”
Kyodo News reported that Prime Minister Kishida conveyed his intention to invite President Yoon to the G7 meeting in Hiroshima in May.
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Corp. CEO Kwang-mo Koo, and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin (from right) listen to President Yoon Seok-yeol’s remarks at the ‘Korea-Japan Business Roundtable’ held at the Keidanren Hall in Tokyo, Japan on the 17th. are applauding Tokyo = Newsis
[尹대통령 방일]Federation of Korean Industries – Keidanren ‘Business Table’ event
Lee Jae-yong “The more friends, the better”
It is the first time in 25 years that the heads of four major groups have attended.
Japan “seeking joint entry into the third country market”
“The economic circles of both countries will expand research and economic exchanges on common pending issues facing both countries, such as joint response to resource weaponization, global supply chain instability, low birth rate and aging population, etc.”
Kim Byung-joon, acting chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), said this at the ‘Korea-Japan Business Roundtable’ event held at the Federation of Economic Organizations (Gyeongdanren) Hall in Tokyo, Japan on the afternoon of the 17th. The ‘Korea-Japan joint response to resource weaponization’ mentioned by Acting Chairman Kim is interpreted as meaning that Korea and Japan will jointly respond to reduce China’s dependence on rare earths, a key raw material for semiconductors. With President Yoon Seok-yeol’s visit to Japan as an opportunity, the heads of the four major conglomerates attended a Korean-Japanese business event for the first time in 25 years.
President Yoon also said at the event that day, “If you have any request to the Korean government, please speak to it at any time without hesitation.” However, it was not possible to attend with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, who attended the event, met with reporters and asked, “How are you preparing for the US administration’s semiconductor science law subsidy issue?”
At the event hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and Keidanren, there were discussions covering issues common to both Korea and Japan, from global supply chain issues to low birth rates and aging issues.
The event was attended by 12 businessmen, including President Yoon, Acting President Kim, President Kim Yoon of the Korea-Japan Economic Association, Chairman Lee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, and LG Co., Ltd. CEO Koo Kwang-mo. It is the first time in 25 years since the 15th Korea-Japan Business Conference in 1998 that the heads of the four major domestic conglomerates attended a Korean-Japanese business event together. From Japan, 11 businessmen attended, including Keidanren Chairman Masakazu Tokura and Japan-Korea Economic Association Chairman Mikio Sasaki.
The attendees discussed detailed areas in which Korean and Japanese companies could join hands, such as Chairman Chey’s proposal that “both economic circles need to find concrete commercialization opportunities through joint research.” Tatsuo Yasunaga, chairman of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., said, “Let’s further strengthen cooperation in the high-tech industry supply chain, such as the electronics industry, and shipbuilding, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships.” Toshiaki Higashihara, chairman of Hitachi Manufacturing Co., Ltd., said, “Let’s cooperate with Korean and Japanese companies to jointly enter the third country market, such as energy and smart cities.”
In particular, President Yoon emphasized cooperation between the two countries in the semiconductor industry, saying, “Korean semiconductor manufacturing companies are closely linked in the supply chain with Japanese semiconductor material and equipment companies.” President Yoon’s remarks were based on the judgment that South Korea could enhance its competitiveness by making Japan an ally in a situation where competition between domestic semiconductor companies and Chinese and Taiwanese companies is intensifying.
Oka Motoyuki, a special advisor to Sumitomo Corporation, who attended the event, also said, “The economic circles of the two countries have promoted 121 joint overseas projects for 24 years from 1997 to 2021, with an amount of 27 trillion yen (approximately 265 trillion won) and the number of participating Korean companies. 51 companies and 84 Japanese companies,” he said. In addition, Chairman Tokura said, “I became a fan of President Yoon’s honesty and open mind,” and said, “I will do my best for the future-oriented development of both Korea and Japan.”
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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.