Park Ji-won “We are heading in the right direction for the Korea-China-Japan Summit held in Seoul this year”

The director of the National Intelligence Service, Park Ji-won, who completed his visit to Japan, said that he “will go in a good direction” in relation to the Korea-China-Japan summit that Seoul is promoting this year.

In a phone call with JoongAng Ilbo on the 11th, Park said, “I met with senior Japanese government officials, practitioners, and political leaders, and I felt that opinions were coming closer to normalize the relationship between Korea and Japan.” He then emphasized: “For the success of the Tokyo Olympics in Japan and the resolution of the abductees problem, cooperation between Korea and Japan and Korea, the United States and Japan is necessary.” It means that both Japan and Korea hope to normalize relations.

The director of the National Intelligence Service, Park Ji-won, returns home through Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport after visiting Japan on the afternoon of the 11th.[연합뉴스]

Director Park met with Toshihiro Nikai, the Liberal Democratic Party secretary on the 8th, and on the 9th, Shigeru Kitamura, the head of the Japanese foreign and security policy commander, director of the National Security Agency (NSS), and Hiroaki Takizawa, the cabinet officer. On the 10th, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide met.

Director Park presented that the meeting with Prime Minister Suga the day before took place in a brilliant atmosphere. “Prime Minister Suga laughed out loud three times during the interview,” Park said by phone. “The two leaders are clearly getting closer to the view that the relationship should be normalized.”

In this regard, a source well versed in the relationship between Korea and Japan also said: “I received a stance from the Japanese government that there are no prerequisites for the participation of the Prime Minister” regarding whether or not Prime Minister Suga attended. the Korea-China-Japan summit.

The source said: “I heard this explanation from key Japanese people.”However, if there are no results before or after Prime Minister Suga’s visit to Korea, it could be a burden on both the governments and the people, so progress should be made in that regard.“Additional.

He did not reveal what kind of performance the Japanese side was asking for, but it was much smoother than the position previously reported by the Japanese media. Japanese media reported that the Japanese government has demanded appropriate measures to prevent the sale of assets by Japanese companies related to forced labor as a prerequisite for Prime Minister Suga’s visit to Korea.

In June 2017, Japanese Liberal Democratic Party secretary Toshihiro Nikai (left) visited Korea as a special envoy of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left) toured the symbiosis center in Jukgyo-dong, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do under the address of the former representative of the National Assembly, Park Ji-won. stalking. [연합뉴스]

Even diplomats in Tokyo say, “It’s definitely good that the atmosphere is relaxing from the highest level.” In particular, there is an opinion that gives importance to the fact that the secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party, Nikai, who played a role in the inauguration of the Suga regime, expressed his willingness to improve relations between Korea and Japan.

A Japanese political source said: “As long as Nikai, executive director of the Suga regime, mentions the relationship of friendship and trust between Korea and Japan, the flow of the PLD is established.”

The Korea-Japan Congress League executive meeting held in Tokyo starting on the 12th is reported to also promise support for the success of the Tokyo Olympics next year. The League of Representatives is also coordinating interviews with Prime Minister Suga and the General Secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party Nikai on the 13th.

In addition to the common perception of the two countries that relations between Korea and Japan should not be left unattended as they are, such a change in airflow seems to reflect the situation on the Japanese side, which needs to quickly improve relations before the Games. Tokyo Olympics next summer.

Also, there is a possibility that the House of Representatives will be dissolved and the general elections will be held early next year, so there is not much time left in Japan. This is because when the election phase comes, the scope of the Suga Cabinet movement in Korea-Japan relations will also shrink. Some say, “In mid-December, Korea should deliver a specific message.”

However, in reality, the mountain to be crossed is still high. Above all, regarding the current issue of compensation for forced labor, he has not yet found a compromise. Although various alternatives have come and gone between the two countries, it is known that they have not been able to reduce the disagreement over who will pay the compensation first. The Japanese side remains firm in the position that “Korea must first make a proposal that Japan can accept.”

Regarding the ‘Moon Jae-in-Suga Joint Statement’ that Park proposed to Japan, Japanese government officials are showing a position that is difficult to accept. The Asahi Shimbun quoted a high-ranking Japanese official as saying that “the new statement is unrealistic given the issue of forced labor.”

Kato Katsunobu (賀登勝 信) also took a negative stance, saying, “I know there were no specific proposals for relations between Korea and Japan, including a new joint statement (in an interview with Prime Minister Suga).”
Tokyo = correspondent Yoon Seol-young [email protected]