Coordination of summit agenda including security cooperation
Public opinion campaign, such as the presidential office and the public remarks
Also refer to DJ’s speech to the Japanese Parliament in 1998
Japan’s ‘sincere response’ seems to be a variable
On the 16th and 17th, President Yoon Seok-yeol’s first visit to Japan was confirmed, and the normalization of Korea-Japan relations was put to the test. While preparing to produce results from the Korea-Japan summit, the presidential office also launched a public opinion campaign to convince the public of the need for future-oriented Korea-Japan relations, such as publicizing President Yoon’s related remarks.
An official from the presidential office said on the 12th, “Discussions were held between Korea and Japan regarding the schedule of the summit over the weekend, and President Yoon received a report on it.” Regarding the announcement of the compensation plan for forced labor during the Japanese occupation, the Office of the President also revealed the concluding remarks of President Yoon’s cabinet meeting on the 7th, saying, “The solution to Korea-Japan relations is the fulfillment of the pledge promised to the people and a decision for the future.” President Yoon told State Council members, “I made it clear from the beginning that it was urgent to resolve the issue of forced labor as soon as possible and vitalize economic, security, and cultural exchanges between Korea and Japan.” Please be sure to recognize this point.” In a YouTube shorts video, the President’s Office also highlighted President Yoon’s determination to improve Korea-Japan relations by putting the phrase “The Buck Stops Here”, the phrase on the nameplate received from US President Joe Biden, to the fore.
While the South Korean and Japanese governments are coordinating the summit agenda and detailed schedule, the disclosure of President Yoon’s remarks is interpreted as emphasizing the necessity of restoring Korea-Japan relations. Security cooperation between Korea and Japan, the US and Japan, GSOMIA (Share of Military Information Agreement), and lifting of export restrictions are expected to come to the table at this Korea-Japan summit. The will to rise is strong.
In particular, as this visit to Japan is short in the form of a two-day, one-night ‘business visit’, it is expected that President Yoon will focus on expanding his contact points with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as well as Japanese political and business circles. The presidential office is also said to be looking at former President Kim Dae-jung’s 1998 speech to the Japanese Diet, which marked a turning point in Korea-Japan relations.
However, there are not a few observations that it is important how much ‘sincere response’ the Japanese side will give to the Korean government’s decision for future-oriented Korea-Japan relations. In this regard, Japan’s Jiji Press reported on the same day, “Prime Minister Kishida will announce that he will inherit the position of the previous Japanese cabinets instead of a new apology for past history issues.” coming out from
In addition, attention is being paid to how actively Korean and Japanese companies will participate in the tentatively named “Future Youth Fund,” which is known to be jointly promoted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and Keidanren (Federation of Economic Organizations).
Meanwhile, the President’s Office said that President Yoon received an invitation from President Biden to preside over a session of the ‘2nd Democracy Summit’ plenary session to be held via video on the 29th and 30th.
Reporters Ahn Seok and Ko Hye-ji
