{"id":2200958,"date":"2023-05-08T20:00:23","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T11:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2200958"},"modified":"2023-05-09T18:28:06","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T09:28:06","slug":"controversy-stalks-yoon-and-kishida-despite-efforts-to-avoid-it-at-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/05\/controversy-stalks-yoon-and-kishida-despite-efforts-to-avoid-it-at-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"Controversy stalks Yoon and Kishida despite efforts to avoid it at summit"},"content":{"rendered":"
In a highly choreographed two-day <\/span>visit<\/span><\/a> to South Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with President Yoon Suk-yeol, addressing symbolic and practical matters to mend the frayed ties between Seoul and Tokyo. But the leaders carefully sidestepped politically charged and sensitive topics, signaling that challenges still lie ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n Kishida\u2019s visit to Seoul took place a mere two months after Yoon\u2019s <\/span>trip<\/span><\/a> to Tokyo, which followed Seoul\u2019s decision to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor without the participation of Japanese firms. The swift timing of the visit surprised many observers, especially considering Japan\u2019s preparations to host the upcoming G-7 summit.<\/span><\/p>\n It seems plausible that Tokyo heeded U.S. President Joe Biden\u2019s <\/span>words<\/span><\/a> during a joint press conference with Yoon last month: \u201cI want to thank you again, Mr. President, for your political courage and personal commitment to diplomacy with Japan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n SYMBOLIC VISIT<\/b><\/p>\n Upon arriving in Seoul, Prime Minister Kishida and his wife <\/span>visited<\/span><\/a> the Seoul National Cemetery. They paid their respects to Korea\u2019s independence fighters and war veterans by laying flowers at the site. Joining them were Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara, Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Aiboshi and South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min.<\/span><\/p>\n The visit held symbolic weight, marking the first time an incumbent Japanese prime minister had set foot in the cemetery since Yoshihiko Noda\u2019s <\/span>visit<\/span><\/a> in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n In a joint press conference with Yoon, Kishida expressed remorse for the \u201chorrendous damage and pain\u201d inflicted upon the Korean people during Japan\u2019s colonial rule.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy heart aches for the many people who had to work under harsh environments at the time and suffered pain and sadness,\u201d Kishida <\/span>said<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, his words may not suffice for South Korean opposition parties and civic groups.<\/span><\/p>\n When questioned by a reporter on whether his remarks were aimed at Korean forced labor victims, Kishida clarified that he was expressing his \u201cown personal thoughts,\u201d effectively distancing his sentiments from the Japanese government\u2019s official stance.<\/span><\/p>\n Yoon, in turn, reaffirmed Seoul\u2019s decision to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor without contributions from Japanese firms and stated that he would not demand an apology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not something we can unilaterally demand; it\u2019s something that should come naturally from the other side\u2019s sincerity,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think we should get out of the perception that South Korea and Japan cannot take even a single step forward unless issues of the past are completely settled,\u201d Yoon added.<\/span><\/p>\n Yoon\u2019s remarks drew sharp criticism from South Korean opposition parties and civic groups. Democratic Party (DP) spokesperson Kang Sun-woo <\/span>accused<\/span><\/a> Yoon of \u201crepresenting Japan\u2019s position,\u201d characterizing his comment as \u201ca great example of submissive diplomacy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n It appears unlikely that Kishida will express any more than his personal sentiments for the foreseeable future. Japanese media have reported that Kishida has been <\/span>distancing<\/span><\/a> himself from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party\u2019s (LDP) Abe wing since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe\u2019s assassination last year, but the faction remains the LDP\u2019s largest, and it is <\/span>opposed<\/span><\/a> to offering formal apologies to South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n