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© Thomson Reuters 2022.S Korea urges improved ties with Japan
By Josh Smith SEOUL©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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© Thomson Reuters 2022.
47 Comments
Sh1mon M4sada
Finally we have an adult running SK. But it takes two to tango, so Kishida should make an effort as well. Free nations should take care of one another, not doing so, is doing the work of the CCP.
obladi
S. Korea and Japan are actually very similar countries on a global scale and should continue to seek common ground
thepersoniamnow
Then SK should begin eliminating the hatred of Japan taught to school children, have less racism taught in films and television, etc.
It seems that Chinese and Koreans are really indoctrinated against Japan from childhood, whereas that has ceased here (at least on an official basis).
Japan should realize that regardless of past apologises etc, Koreans in general haven’t done much to Japan, but Japan did colonize them, so a more conciliatory stance in general is much better than referring to the topic as over with.
SaikoPhysco
How many times have we seen this... "we want better ties" and then when they get a little better, they start asking for War reparations again. What cracks me up the most... try buying a Korean made car in Japan, or a Nissan in S. Korea, good luck. Just agree to go with the flow for the next few centuries because diplomacy and overtures will not work anytime soon.
noriahojanen
Do they really have sharing values? What about the Taiwan issue? Pelosi was welcomed by PM Kishida on her visit to Tokyo although she was denied in Seoul a meeting with President Yoon (his absence has no valid reason). At the same time, the SK foreign secretary rushed to Beijing for kowtowing. The SK is now the least reliable ally for the US.
xin xin
The Emperor again expressed remorse for WW2 actions this August 15. That ought to be proof of solid good faith on the part of Japan. Now SK must make the move to close the deal and get rid of the remaining scars of war. Nothing is more important than the present and the future.
EdwardCanada
It would serve both countries to align themselves, especially with the way China is acting, and whatever future ambitions of global takeover they have, lol.
South Korea seems to walk a fine line between China and the US.
I can understand their position.
I don't think South Korea is by any means on China's side by any means.
But they're very quiet about it because they don't want to upset the very fanatically sensitive CCP.
The main thing S Korea cares about, highest priority.. is North Korea and that situation.
And they know that the only way to deal with N Korea is through China..
S Korea doesn't want to destroy that bridge.
Not to mention China being their biggest trading partner.
But, props to South Korea standing up to the China on their recent visit. China was trying to pressure Korea on the 3 nos. Particularly S Koreas missile system.
itsonlyrocknroll
The toxic political and diplomatic legacy inherited from former president Moon Jae-in boardering on abhorrence and loathing for Japan, its people, could well prove insurmountable.
Moon Jae-in use of his own judiary to breach international treaty law is a point in question, and the constant wheeling out of frail pensioners as political battering rams is shameful.
President Yoon Suk-yeol has his work cut out however not without its merits
CrashTestDummy
It is very important for Japan and S. Korea mend conflicts. Both countries need to have a better economic alliance with trade especially when China is really going rogue now. We will see if it happens because there is some deep rooted disagreements on both sides.
ReasonandWisdomNippon
South Korea.
Yesterday with China and the 3 promises to Beijing under Moon.
Today when USA Nancy visits, we are with you America!
SKorea swings from left to right with no consistency!
SKorea never joined Quad Alliance to balance China!
SKorea never made promises to support Taiwan or come to Taiwan rescue.
SKorea is not reliable! Shady! Squid Games! Lies and misdirection!
SKorea lets the criminals out, pardon from president Yoon himself if it benefits the economy. Don't matter the crime for Korea, as long as you benefit the country.
noriahojanen
It's up to you. Don't look at Japan.
ReasonandWisdomNippon
Today is Korea's liberation day. They celebrated by putting up street performance of Koreans beat up Japanese soldiers using taekwondo or destroying Japanese flags. Typical Korean liberation day. Bashing Japan, hating on Japan, show performance that's anti-Japan, then 2 minutes of nice speech about cooperation with Japan which the media will swallow up and ignore the other 98% of Japan bashing.
OssanAmerica
The Korean Penninsula has historically always been a strategically important location, and as such been a ping pong ball among more powerful neighbors. As such, the only way to survive has been to appease the greater powers, even if it means talking out both ends at the same time.
Under the Moon administration, destroying the SK-JPN relationship reached a point of negatively affecting SK's own security. SK is afraid of upsetting US, China, NK, Russia, but Japan is ok because they have Article 9 and it can be poked continuously and it will never bite. Yoon recognizes the necessity to correct SK-JPN relations for it's own sake. But has an uphill battle with all the damage created by the previous Moon administration. But the flip-flopping history of SK will make getting Japan's trust very very difficult. "Expecting" more give from Japan on anything is going to be unproductive.
Unless SK reinstates the 2015 Comfort Women Agreement (that Moon ripped up), and agrees to the Arbitration Clause in the 1965 Treaty to establish whether SK Courts even have jurisdiction over war time labor matters, South Korea will be pissing into the wind.
Many have correctly pointed out that the anti-Japan sentiment ingrained into South Korean education and society needs to be removed in order to truly put SK-JPN relations on a friendly cooperative track. It is ingrained because when WWII end the Allies put ito power the Korean Govrnment in Exile, whose political platform was nothing more than liberation from Japan. So even 77 years after being liberated they are still carrying the anti-Japan agenda, even though it is no longer necessary.
Good luck to President Yoon. It's about time South Korea had a leader who put the country's future ahead of it's past.
kennyG
As far as I know none of those libel lawsuits succeeded, but ended as a double disgrace exposing their
ignorance and fictitiousness even more, ironically proving the legitimacy of the defendants arguments
vanityofvanities
It is the time S. Korea throw away their old clothes and make further advances for the future hand in hand with Japan. S. Korea has become a success story of the free world in this hemisphere.
ReasonandWisdomNippon
South Korean Unification Church in Japan, brainwashing Japanese citizens, taking all their money and resources, women, widow's with children being taken advantage off, left broke and financially devastated. Will South Koreans offer apology and compensation for that???
It only counts when Japan does the crime! When Korea is guilty and in the wrong, No apology. No compensation!
Korean Squid Games being played on Japanese land and soil by both North Korea and South Korea with immunity and laws protecting them and their Squid Games!
Wakarimasen
If they stopped the ridiculous offense at everything nonsense and finally got over historical misdeeds, this would be a piece of cake.
kennyG
When you grow up , you learn there're proper distance to be held rather than just mingle with some. you learn sometimes to completely ignore some for protecting a specific line to live your life. That is what Japan is doing.
kennyG
Did you read Ant-Japan Tribalism or Red Wednesday?
How come SK still allows Comfort women fraud groups be active?
John-San
The unground hatred for the Japan has fested for close to a 100 years, there is no cure for. It very hard to a country’s population to see the defeated Japanese soon after the war they lost while they are under semi Military rule for 20 years and at the same time watch the defeat flourish from a democratic system. Has the old saying go concerning Japan losers are winners and winner are losers.
blue in green
Meh.
OssanAmerica
Can you read 靖国?
Tony Pine
There is only one person who can bring the warring factions together and that person is none other than the legendary Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu. If you want evidence of his popularity then just look at the reception that he got in Beijing earlier this year and in Pyongchang in 2018 where it was off the scale.
One British newspaper correspondant said at the time of the Beijing Olympics that Yuzuru Hanyu did something that no Politician or world leader could do and that was to bring China, Japan and South Korea together.
If individuals can set the pace for change the Politicians should add momentum to the cause for peace.
Sven Asai
It’s of course nice and important to know all the history, but in fact you just have to completely overcome it, not forgetting, but forgiving. Maybe it’s too much to be expected and too difficult to reach that, which is exactly the reason why still everyone is trapped or intentionally and ideologically kept in the past and this whole planet simply cannot and won’t find the path into a better future and lasting peace.
Saori
Japan and South Korea should focus on being independent and increasing the low birth rates of both nations.
OssanAmerica
Some 250,000 Koreans served in the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. Ever hear of the Bataan Death March? The Guards who abused Allied POWs were Koreans. The head, IJA General Hong Sa-Ik,a Korean was charged, convicted and executed as a Class-A War Criminals. The IJA guards in SEAsian POW camps were also often Koreans, with former Australiam POWs attesting to this and their brutality. Asian nations can talk about atrocities comitted by Japanese forces. But Koreans were in thr]e IJA comitting atrocities in Asian countries, And making use of the Comfort Stations. The whitewashing and historical revisionism by the SK government is all part of the SK-JPN difficulties.
dagon
Kuruki
No, they're not. Link us the evidence or else its just misinformation.
I'm currently based in Seoul and all I see is people just enjoying the public holiday. I'm Japanese but the people around me aren't threatening me or harrassing me. People are simply reflecting on the past... AS WE ALL SHOULD.
Eastman
both sides need to be adult already,make a thick red line after past....both sides
Kuruki
This comment shows really poor understanding of Korea's place in geopolitics. Korea has historically been squished between major powers (China, Japan, US) so they can't please one without facing consequences from the other. The following comment from EdwardCanada understands the context.
deanzaZZR
Look at a map. South Korea is surrounded by China, North Korea, Russia and Japan. Caution is understandable.
Tokyo-gaijin
All these politicians, without exception need to grow up.
Samit Basu
@kennyG
Because comfort women deniers are considered frauds and are faced with libel lawsuits to bankrupt them.
Kuruki
Let's not forget that a bunch of ministers visited Yasakuni shrine recently. Before throwing complaints at Korea, let's fix our own approach first.
Samit Basu
Well, at least it's not a crime to wear a Kimono and walk around in public in Korea, unlike in China.
Yes, wearing kimono in public is a crime in China.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/15/china/china-anime-fan-kimono-police-mic-intl-hnk/index.html
Samit Basu
@EdwardCanada
3 Nos were absolutely non-controversial in Korea.
No additional THAADs : The US wasn't asking for additional deployment, and Korea had no need for THAAD since the L-SAM would enter service in 2024. With UAE and Saudi Arabia lined up to buy L-SAM shortly after Korean deployment, it will generate at least $10 billion in export revenue for Korea.
No joining of US missile defense : Once again, Korea has its own triple layer missile defense with thousands of interceptors, KAMD. Korea has no need to join the US missile defense unlike Japan.
No US-Korea-Japan trilateral alliance : Any form of an alliance with Japan is a non-seller with Korean public. Any politician would be lynched as a traitor by public if he/she ever mentioned any form of alliance with Japan, and Yoon in fact is facing a torrent of criticism over his speech right now. People are waiting to see if Yoon's poll number would drop below 20% next week because of today's speech.Samit Basu
One more thing to add.
Yoon has in fact asked the Korean defense ministry if they needed THAAD shortly after his assuming of office and the Korean defense ministry said no, they will probably get L-SAM in service before the arrival of THAAD even if Yoon ordered THAAD thus THAAD wasn't necessary, they refused.
This is why so-called 3 No didn't harm Korea's national security interests. If it was Japan then yes, because Japan has to import missile defense system from the US, but not Korea which is now the US's biggest rival in ballistic missile defense system export market.
TokyoLiving
Ir all of you Japan, Korea and China would be friends and cooperate each other, you will be unstoppable..
And the envy of the decadent sore loser west..
dagon
"Native Americans held slaves!They are responsible for African slavery!".
Colonized, marginalized Koreans with no recourse were press-ganged into the IJA.
Korea is totally complicit in IJA atrocities!!!
Randy Johnson
The following is a very well thought out comment by this individual.
Makoto ShimizuToday 07:59 am JST
Fortunately, Japan has renounced to war as a conflict resolution way, this was a wise decision that made Japan a prosperous country, economically and socially, hope that peace makers continue to prevail over the war lovers. The good thing about remorse is that it may lead to true repentance. Remorse is a feeling that comes from time to time, of something wrong that was done in the past, and until it does not turn into genuine repentance, will always ghost mind and heart. As Germany did, Japan should consider go beyond remorse towards China, Korea, other attacked nations in the past. The good thing about remorse is that it may lead to true repentance. Remorse is a feeling that comes from time to time, of something wrong that was done in the past, and until it does not turn into genuine repentance, will always ghost mind and heart. Hope that the next anniversary they mention it clearly, repentance, not only remorse.
7( +7 / -0 )
TokyoLiving
*if
Samit Basu
Sadly, this isn't possible. Beside, the Korean Supreme Court is scheduled to turn down Mitsubishi's appeal against asset liquidation and order the liquidation to proceed next week, at which point the relations between Japan and Korea would fall to the lowest point since 1945 anyway.
Not only the supermajority of Korean voters disapprove Yoon(28% approve - 68% disapprove) according to polls, most oppose improving relations with Japan anyway. Basically no one cares what Yoon says in Korea. So just pop a bag of popcorn into microwave and watch the diplomatic firework unfolding next week.