Japanese official “Let’s talk a long time with President Moon …”

As President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hold their first phone conversations on the 24th, the focus is on whether Prime Minister Suga’s visit to Korea will be successful during the year. On the 25th, the Japanese media predicted that since the Suga government defends a position of “unchanging principles” on the issue of the conflict between the two countries, it is unlikely to succeed.

President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. [연합뉴스]

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 25th that President Moon and Prime Minister Suga had also discussed holding a future summit between South Korea, China and Japan in a telephone chat the day before. In addition, he explained that within the Korean government a plan is emerging for Prime Minister Suga to visit Korea for the first time in time with the Korea-China-Japan summit to be held in Korea this year and use it as a foothold to improve the relationships.

The Asahi Shimbun also delivered a comment from a South Korean government official: “I want the Prime Minister’s visit to Korea to be an opportunity to improve relations.” However, the newspaper believes that the proceeding to forcibly sell assets in Korea by seized Japanese companies in connection with the forced recruitment lawsuit is ongoing, and that this issue could have an impact on Prime Minister Suga’s visit to Korea. .

The Jiji News Agency also predicted that the likelihood of Prime Minister Suga’s visit to Korea was low. The news agency reported: “The Korean government is trying to hold (the summit meeting) this year in a face-to-face format.” However, an official from the Japanese Foreign Ministry said: “It is difficult for Prime Minister (Suga) to go to Korea in the current situation.” .

The day before, President Moon and Prime Minister Suga spoke on the phone for about 20 minutes. It has been nine months since the days of the Shinzo Abe regime that the leaders of Korea and Japan have spoken directly.

In the talks, the two leaders expressed their closeness to the other country as ‘closest friends who share basic values ​​and strategic interests’ (President Moon) and ‘very important neighboring country’ (Prime Minister Suga).

Lee Chun-sik (94), the sole survivor of the victims of Japanese compulsory military service, answers a question at a press conference regarding the ruling of a reconsideration of a claim for damages against Shin Il-cheolju on 30 October 2018. [뉴스1]

However, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the atmosphere of the talks changed rapidly when Prime Minister Suga raised the issue of conscription.

Japan’s Defense Ministry Minister Naoki Okada, who was present at the conference call, told the Sankei Shimbun that the talks took place “in a calm atmosphere.” Sankei noted that Okada’s comments are unusual as it is common for summit meetings to emphasize “we were friendly” and “the atmosphere.”

The Japanese media signaled the start of communication between South Korea and Japan through telephone conversations between President Moon and Prime Minister Suga, but assessed that the recovery of Korea-Japan relations was not easy.

It is predicted that it will be difficult to resolve the disagreement between Korea and Japan, as the Suga regime insists, like the Abe regime, “Korea must correct violations of international law” on the issue of conscription during the Japanese occupation. .

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (right) presents flowers to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will retire on the 16th. [로이터=연합뉴스]

The Asahi Shimbun noted that Prime Minister Suga’s view at the meeting that “Korea-Japan relations should not be neglected as they are,” but “relations improved as they inherited the attitude of the Abe regime that” improvement Relationship depends on Korea’s response. “No signs of moving forward.”

Yomiuri also assessed that it would not be easy to restore the completely chilled relationship between Korea and Japan, as Prime Minister Suga made clear the policy of succession to the Abe route in diplomatic relations with Korea.

Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) said: “The government (of Japan) is in the position that the Republic of Korea needs to find a solution to improve relations.” An executive in the Foreign Ministry told Nikkei that “the principle remains unchanged even in the new regime.”

Sankei said a high-ranking Japanese government official responded by saying, “It’s useless to talk to him for a long time.”

In October 2018, the Korean Supreme Court ruled that four victims of compulsory military service filed a lawsuit for damages against Shin Il-cheol Jugeum (currently Japan Steel) in October 2018, telling the company to “ pay 100 million won per victim. ” Since then, the Japanese government has insisted that all compensation issues have been resolved in accordance with the 1965 Agreement on Economic Cooperation and Claims between Korea and Japan, and this decision is a violation of international law.

Reporter Lee Young-hee [email protected]