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S Korean, Japanese leaders meet again to improve ties

30 Comments
By HYUNG-JIN KIM

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30 Comments
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Set Great Example to World on Reconciliation!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Having a great relationship with other countries leaders is ALWAYS a good thing.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

What’s with the white gloves?

Is Kishida driving a taxi or something?

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

These folks in the photo who are protesting Yoon/Kishida should all pack up and move to North Korea, where they will be happier.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

Fortunately, South Korea’s society allows and shows protest to the world unlike some other countries

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Yep, everyone agrees, SK had GREAT run since 1990's, Japan, well everyone agrees on that too, being PC here. Let's call it reversion to the mean.

Now's time to Chart Vision Together, building Bridges to help humanity solve Real Problems which takes Time, Not Destroy them, which's easy & creates more problems!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Fortunately South Korea like other democracies allow people to move to other countries where they will be happier.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

What’s with the white gloves?

Is Kishida driving a taxi or something?

I will educate you...don't worry.

Wearing white gloves is a part of proper fomal wearing.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Humiliating Diplomacy is trendy term Right? Brainwashed to the marrow of their bones. Can't help it in the society which kills anything against their fake narratives in fantasy. It is said Korean text books focus mostly on modern history for entrance exams in the highly competitive academic-background society.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

These folks in the photo who are protesting Yoon/Kishida should all pack up and move to North Korea, where they will be happier.

Ah, so you support an Authoritarian Government. I find that interesting, as you would not want to live in that.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

KenjiToday  06:10 pm JST

These folks in the photo who are protesting Yoon/Kishida should all pack up and move to North Korea, where they will be happier.

Ah, so you support an Authoritarian Government. 

Incorrect. I said that "they should move". I did not say they should be rounded up and deported by force.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Illegal colonization? No. It was the most legitimate annexation in the world history. Hope they could stop hiding it and spare time more on the 1000 years-history of the peninsula around Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty under CHINESE emperors unless they believe those their Chinese eras were somehow the results of legal colonization by Chinese.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Be nice everyone, it's all subjective, eye of the beholder, as one man's authoritarian is another man's servant.

But those white gloves do send a great message regarding their serious intentions to achieve progress!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I don't wish to sully tarnish Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol efforts to find common agreement to improve relationships.

However any future change of government, the agenda, an aggressive rejection of any contact from opposition parties will return both countries to a belligerent stalemate.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Real men or women never afraid to admit when wrong, Mr. Kishida is determined to put an end to past misunderstandings and ready to move the two nations forward.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

itsonlyrocknrollToday  07:07 pm JST

However any future change of government, the agenda, an aggressive rejection of any contact from opposition parties will return both countries to a belligerent stalemate.

No one knows the answer to that. Much of whether an improved SK/JPN relationship will continue depends upon the beneft to both nations, especially South Korea where the long ingrained anti-JPN sentiment would have to diminish. At least to the extent that the next SK administration can not use anti-JPN as a platform.

Frankly, I think that after the Moon administration, Japan has every right to not trust SK at all. So I think it's quite admirable for PM Kishida to work wit Pres. Yoon to fufill his agenda. That the next SK administration may return to bad relations is not a reason to support Pres.Yoon today.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

There was another civic group with even more people right next to this Anti-Kishida/Japan group in the AP's photo, which were showing plates saying " We enthusiastically welcome Japanese PM Kishida"

Why AP didn't pick that group equally ......lol

2 ( +4 / -2 )

OssanAmerica

Yes of course support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agenda of tentative reconciliation, finding a joint strategy to push for a future that promotes common interests.

Excuse my cynicism, both leaders will have to produce policies that draw both administrations to a common cause, then persuade there people.

Not quite straight forward, quite a task, both economically and politically.

If South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol party can secure another term in office, would represent a huge change for future relationships.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

OssanAmerica: "No one knows the answer to that. Much of whether an improved SK/JPN relationship will continue depends upon the beneft to both nations, especially South Korea where the long ingrained anti-JPN sentiment would have to diminish. At least to the extent that the next SK administration can not use anti-JPN as a platform."

Wrong. It's got to be both sides, and if one side needs to do more work to acknowledge history and make amends it is Japan, hands down. Yoon is 95% responsible for the current thawing in relations, and Kishida is just stepping in for the photo. As for Anti-JPN sentiment, that also goes both ways, with people here driving around in black trucks and calling children "cockroaches", setting fire to international schools and not being punished, denying history and altering textbooks, and then some. No more saying the sex slaves were "well paid prostitutes" my friend. Let the truth set us all free.

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

What’s with the white gloves?

Is Kishida driving a taxi or something?

I will educate you...don't worry.

Wearing white gloves is a part of proper fomal wearing.

So, when the Crown Prince and Princess were in London yesterday without wearing white gloves, they were not taking part in proper formal wearing?

I agree with the first poster, what's with the white gloves? Are the politicians in the front row trying to hide the grift on their hands? This is a visit between heads of governments, not a political rally in Japan. Or is wearing white gloves the new anti-COVID measure of the administration when going abroad?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Those demonstrators are counter productive against economic growth.

Most of them worship Chinese and North Korea as Moon does. They don't want to know how China had victimized Korea in history of thousands of years.

They do not want to acknowledge that Japan liberated Korea from China.

After 36 years of colonizatio, Korea learned how to develop economy with help of Japan.

Of course there were some issues of victimization created by Japan but that's acceptable in the age of imperial colonization from 16th to early 20th century.

The actual victims should be compensated by Korean Government which failed to protect Korea from other countries.

Let's move on together for mutual benefits.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Invite China and make good relations between the three, make Asia a military and economic power, and take out the clowns from the US-NATO circus that only bring colonialism and wars..

Only if China stops claiming an entire sea and an island it doesn't control. Make Asia free and take out the clowns from Russia-China that only bring death.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I really loved the protesters today...

Somewhere between 7 to 10 cats against Kishida/Yoon meeting. And ten meters away from them another group of at least 30, waving American, Korean and Japanese flags altogether. Also shown in Korean tv.

Things are looking positive.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I would enjoy more information on this point. Please proceed.

They do not want to acknowledge that Japan liberated Korea from China.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japan felt threatened by the strong trade relationship between Korea and China.

Both the colonization or so called annexation of Korea was illegal and not necessary.

The narrative that Japan felt it necessary to invade korea for Japan's national defense is a fictional excuse .

If previously Japan was able to defend against the Khan then Japanese defense was no doubt superior anyway.

It was basically dominant greed that caused the invasion of korea.

All water under the bridge now.

It does appear Kishida is sincerely attempting to make amends and move forward .

So which case of colonization in humane history was legal if any? and in what terms under what kind of then-law?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Excuse me respectfully as it seems we have a miscommunication.

I do not advocate , endorse or support of defend the colonization of any sovereign nation, area or territory.

I cannot possibly confirm or deny any such historical events not personally witnessed to.

What decided sovereign nation or not, legal or illegal of colonization those days, that is my point.

I said the most legitimate...meaning valid or justified rather than legal (the law) which didn't exist.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Wrong. It's got to be both sides, and if one side needs to do more work to acknowledge history and make amends it is Japan, hands down.

Nope It is SK. hands down.

Yoon is 95% responsible for the current thawing in relations, and Kishida is just stepping in for the photo.

Because it was bunch of SK former presidents who were responsible 100% for the worst relationship ever. What the heck do you demand really? admitting for untruths like fake confessions as the leader of a nation?

As for Anti-JPN sentiment, that also goes both ways, with people here driving around in black trucks

Heck, to be returned to those performing Harakiri against Japanese rising-sun flags with Abe's face in the center in broad day-lights on the street and national campaign of " No Japan" which seem having disappear as if like idiotic fashion gone with winds

and calling children "cockroaches", setting fire to international schools and not being punished, denying history and altering textbooks,

Blame your families who teaches how to draw the hate against Japanese cereblating Kanto-eartquake or wishing NK missiles land on Tokyo and make them draw such pictures in ordinary school hours

and then some.

What the heck is this them some?

No more saying the sex slaves were "well paid prostitutes" my friend.

Do you even know Korean history of prostitution? Talk something, if you can, about Comfort women for UN/US even after WW2, or the fact so many Korean women got busted all over the world in modern times.

What exactly do you call them Huh?

Let the truth set us all free.

Yeah Really but seems you ain't

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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