Suga hit for renewing hardline stance on Korea
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga cannot deflect criticism for unilaterally canceling agreed-upon talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Britain last week. Seoul and Tokyo had tentatively agreed on an informal meeting between the two leaders; but Suga nixed this, citing Korea’s annual military exercises to safeguard its East Sea territory, including the easternmost Dokdo islets.
It is regrettable that the Japanese leader called off the meeting with his South Korean counterpart due to the exercises that usually take place twice a year ― in summer and winter. The two countries have long been at loggerheads over Dokdo. By all respects, the volcanic outcroppings are an integral part of South Korea; however, Japan has continued to lay claim to the islets.
Suga apparently has little or no interest in holding talks with Moon, although citing the Dokdo issue seems to be a lame excuse. Korea has many reasons to complain about Japan’s irrational stance on the islets. Most recently, Japan again invited the anger of Korea and its people by including Dokdo on the map of the route of the Tokyo Olympics torch relay. Posting such a map online is tantamount to an infringement on Korea’s sovereignty and a violation of the Olympic spirit of peace and harmony.
The Japanese side should take full responsibility for scoffing at President Moon’s efforts to hold a summit ― informal or formal ― with Suga to mend ties. Bilateral relations have continued to deteriorate since 2018 when South Korea’s Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to surviving Korean victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor. Tokyo took retaliatory trade measures against Seoul ― specifically Korean hi-tech firms ― over the ruling, heightening tensions further between the two neighbors.
With the cancelation of their meeting, Moon and Suga only exchanged brief greetings twice, Saturday, before an expanded G7 session and during a dinner hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Disappointingly, however, Suga turned down Moon’s diplomatic gesture to hold a “pull-aside” meeting with him to discuss pending issues such as wartime forced labor and sexual slavery.
What is more worrisome is that Suga has repeated his rigid position that he has no plans to hold a summit with Moon anytime soon until Korea comes up with a solution to the compensation issue. It is irresponsible for Suga to pass the buck to the Korean side without acknowledging and apologizing for Japan’s crimes against humanity during World War II.
Another factor is the domestic political situation Suga faces in Japan. His approval rating is on the decline, particularly amid growing public protests against his push for going ahead with the Summer Olympics despite the raging COVID-19 pandemic. He may fear that a possible summit with Moon might prompt a backlash from his conservative supporters.
We urge Suga to have such a summit with Moon sooner rather than later. There seems to be no other options than diplomacy to solve the disputes over Japan’s wartime atrocities. As Moon has proposed, the two countries should try to forge a future-oriented partnership by reaching true reconciliation and rebuilding trust.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga cannot deflect criticism for unilaterally canceling agreed-upon talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Britain last week. Seoul and Tokyo had tentatively agreed on an informal meeting between the two leaders; but Suga nixed this, citing Korea’s annual military exercises to safeguard its East Sea territory, including the easternmost Dokdo islets.
It is regrettable that the Japanese leader called off the meeting with his South Korean counterpart due to the exercises that usually take place twice a year ― in summer and winter. The two countries have long been at loggerheads over Dokdo. By all respects, the volcanic outcroppings are an integral part of South Korea; however, Japan has continued to lay claim to the islets.
Suga apparently has little or no interest in holding talks with Moon, although citing the Dokdo issue seems to be a lame excuse. Korea has many reasons to complain about Japan’s irrational stance on the islets. Most recently, Japan again invited the anger of Korea and its people by including Dokdo on the map of the route of the Tokyo Olympics torch relay. Posting such a map online is tantamount to an infringement on Korea’s sovereignty and a violation of the Olympic spirit of peace and harmony.
The Japanese side should take full responsibility for scoffing at President Moon’s efforts to hold a summit ― informal or formal ― with Suga to mend ties. Bilateral relations have continued to deteriorate since 2018 when South Korea’s Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to surviving Korean victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor. Tokyo took retaliatory trade measures against Seoul ― specifically Korean hi-tech firms ― over the ruling, heightening tensions further between the two neighbors.
With the cancelation of their meeting, Moon and Suga only exchanged brief greetings twice, Saturday, before an expanded G7 session and during a dinner hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Disappointingly, however, Suga turned down Moon’s diplomatic gesture to hold a “pull-aside” meeting with him to discuss pending issues such as wartime forced labor and sexual slavery.
What is more worrisome is that Suga has repeated his rigid position that he has no plans to hold a summit with Moon anytime soon until Korea comes up with a solution to the compensation issue. It is irresponsible for Suga to pass the buck to the Korean side without acknowledging and apologizing for Japan’s crimes against humanity during World War II.
Another factor is the domestic political situation Suga faces in Japan. His approval rating is on the decline, particularly amid growing public protests against his push for going ahead with the Summer Olympics despite the raging COVID-19 pandemic. He may fear that a possible summit with Moon might prompt a backlash from his conservative supporters.
We urge Suga to have such a summit with Moon sooner rather than later. There seems to be no other options than diplomacy to solve the disputes over Japan’s wartime atrocities. As Moon has proposed, the two countries should try to forge a future-oriented partnership by reaching true reconciliation and rebuilding trust.
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