[尹-기시다 내일 정상회담]
Korea-Japan Summit 4 Issues
“As the shuttle diplomacy between Korea and Japan, which had been suspended for 12 years due to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Korea, is resuming, attention is focused on what agendas the leaders of Korea and Japan will discuss and what messages they will send out. Putting the explanations of the two countries together, there are four key issues between Korea and Japan. △ Whether or not Prime Minister Kishida made a direct apology to victims of forced labor during the Japanese occupation △ Compensation for victims of forced labor △ Security cooperation △ Fukushima, Japan’s contaminated water issue. There are some points in which Korea and Japan have a common perception on these pending issues, but there are also many areas where their positions diverge.”
Prior to the Korea-Japan summit in March, Prime Minister Kishida, in the 1998 “Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Joint Declaration,” announced by then Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, “severe reflection and apology from the heart,” etc. There was an expectation that I could directly mention the . However, Prime Minister Kishida only expressed the position that he would inherit the position of the previous cabinets, and negative domestic public opinion was amplified.
However, as the summit nears, expectations are growing within the presidential office that Prime Minister Kishida may take measures to respond in good faith, such as directly expressing his “painful apology and remorse.” A key official in the presidential office said on the 5th, “As there is public opinion from the international community, including the US, Japan must respond.” Previously, another official in the presidential office also said, “Just because the leaders of Korea and Japan open the door to the future doesn’t mean the door to the past is closed.”
However, the government plans not to have prior coordination with the Japanese side regarding an apology prior to the summit. “The preparation period for this meeting was too short to deal with sensitive issues,” said a government source. Even so, the government is known to have indirectly pressured Japan by conveying domestic public opinion that Prime Minister Kishida wants an apology.
The Japanese government is also expected to ponder what position it will take right before Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to Korea. A diplomatic source familiar with the situation in Japan said, “I know that the Kishida cabinet has listened to public opinion in their own country as well as conservative and hardline voices calling for a step forward to improve Korea-Japan relations.” will” he said.
President Yoon Seok-yeol holds a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after the Korea-Japan summit held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on the 16th. 2023.03.16. Tokyo = NewsisThe crux of the issue of compensation for victims of forced labor is whether the Japanese defendants, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel, will participate in the compensation in any way. In particular, as the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (KEI) decided to establish a ‘Future Partnership Fund’ in March, interest is in whether the defendant company will officially announce its intention to participate in the fund.
However, as it has been confirmed that the fund has not yet been established, it will be difficult to announce the participation of the defendant companies in compensation at this Korea-Japan summit. This is because discussions are underway between working-level officials of the two countries on the operation of the fund. The Japanese side is known to be reluctant to discuss issues such as the participation of the defendant company in a situation where the fund is not being operated properly.
However, there are also observations that Prime Minister Kishida may announce future partnership fund management plans at this summit. It is said that both Korea and Japan have formed a consensus to some extent on adding participating companies or increasing the amount of the fund once the fund is formally established sooner or later. Currently, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and Keidanren (Kyungdanren) contributed only 1 billion won each.
The Korean government is in the position that the defendant company should also participate at the right time and show sincerity in compensation. On the other hand, the Japanese side is known to adhere to the meaning that “the participation of the defendant company is an area for companies to judge autonomously.”
As North Korea continues to threaten South Korea, the U.S. and Japan simultaneously with outright nuclear strikes, escalating the crisis, there is a consensus on strengthening security cooperation between South Korea and Japan. The US administration of Joe Biden is also actively sending a message to both Korea and Japan to raise the level of security cooperation.
It is intended to contain not only North Korea but also China and Russia by strengthening security ties between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. Accordingly, it is expected that the summit will discuss ways to secure the accuracy and speed of information exchange between the two countries and improve detection capabilities in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
However, there is a slight temperature difference between the two countries’ views on security cooperation. Since the Washington Declaration, a plan to strengthen the extended deterrence (nuclear umbrella) of the United States, was announced at the Korea-US summit last month, South Korea is making it clear that strengthening cooperation between the two countries is the first priority. On the 1st, Cho Tae-yong, head of the National Security Office at the Presidential Office, also said, “The first priority is to establish a bilateral system between South Korea and the U.S.
On the other hand, Japan seems to be in a hurry to launch a new Korea-US-Japan security consultative body. A government source said, “Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to Korea and the summit, which were originally expected to be in June, were pushed forward because of the Japanese request.” “Japan may have become impatient as South Korea and the U.S. strengthened the solidarity of security cooperation in the wake of President Yoon Seok-yeol’s visit to the United States,” he added.
It is known that the leaders of South Korea and Japan will also discuss the issue of radioactively contaminated water at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In particular, apart from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verification currently underway, there is a high possibility that the two governments will discuss joint investigation measures, such as reviewing the safety of contaminated water at the nuclear power plant together by scientists from both Korea and Japan.
The South Korean government is in the position that Japan should respond more actively to the verification, taking this summit as an opportunity as the Korean public’s anxiety over Japan’s contaminated water issue has not completely subsided. Although the IAEA released an interim report stating that “Japan’s discharge and monitoring plans can be trusted,” they said that since Korea is the closest to Japan, additional verification between the two countries should be conducted if necessary. A government official emphasized, “If the two countries jointly investigate the contaminated water, we will not stay at a formal verification,” and emphasized that “the establishment of a related consultative body between the two countries is also a possible option (option).”
Japan’s basic position is that there is no problem as long as it is verified by the IAEA and proceeds with the discharge of contaminated water. However, it is known that Japan is also aware that public opinion in South Korea is very sensitive to the issue of contaminated water, and thus has left open the possibility of additional verification. Another government source said, “I don’t think Japan will completely rule out South Korea’s position on the contaminated water. Some are concerned that the additional joint verification of contaminated water between the two countries could only give Japan an excuse to release the contaminated water.
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.