Japanese media outlets argued that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida should have directly mentioned remorse and apology regarding forced labor at a joint press conference for the Korea-Japan summit on the 7th.
In an editorial on the 9th, the Tokyo Shimbun said, “The Prime Minister, in relation to historical awareness at the meeting, ‘inherited the position of the previous cabinets as a whole, including the 1989 Japan-Korea Joint Declaration stipulating remorse and apology for colonial rule. This stance is unshakable,” he said. More than ever before, there are many voices welcoming it in Korea with emotional expressions.”
He continued, “However, there are many indirect expressions such as ‘passing on as a whole’ and ‘many people suffered and were sad in the harsh environment at the time’.” Shouldn’t we respond to the spirit of President (Yoon Seok-yeol) who came out on “?”
The newspaper urged, “Shuttle diplomacy in which the leaders of Korea and Japan visit each other is the first in 12 years,” and “I hope the leaders of the two countries will continue candid dialogue to improve and further solidify the relationship that has deteriorated over the issue of forced labor.”
Regarding Prime Minister Kishida’s advance in the timing of his visit, “The reason why Prime Minister’s visit to Korea has been accelerated, which was originally expected to be around summer, is that President Yoon, who visited Japan in March, is being criticized domestically for his subservient diplomacy with Japan, and improving relations is beneficial to both countries. It must have been because I needed to show it.”
Also, at the summit, Korean experts agreed to inspect the marine discharge of treated water (contaminated water) from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, the leaders of Korea and Japan agreed to jointly visit the memorial monument for Koreans. The newspaper said, “All can be said to be the results of the resumption of shuttle diplomacy, but shuttle diplomacy has been repeatedly forced to suspend due to conflicts over historical perception.” The leaders and governments of the two countries must continue to show their will to continue to develop vigorously,” he ordered.
Source: Donga
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