Korea-Japan relations continue to crunch… Biden pushes US government cooperation
Focus on whether to include solutions to Korea-Japan relations in the 3·1 speech
[앵커]
I am interested in whether President Moon Jae-in will present a message to untie the relationship between Korea and Japan in the upcoming March 1 speech.
The key is whether the two governments can agree and find a trick that the victims can agree on.
Reporter Na Yeon-soo reports.
[기자]
[문재인 / 대통령 (2021년도 신년사) : 한일 관계의 미래지향적 발전을 위해서도 계속 노력해 나갈 것입니다.]
In this year’s New Year’s speech, President Moon Jae-in made clear his will to improve relations between Korea and Japan, but there has been no noticeable change.
In the meantime, the newly launched Biden US administration stressed the importance of cooperation between the two Koreas and Japan, and pressured the improvement of Korea-Japan relations.
In fact, for President Moon, who is in his last year in office, improving Korea-Japan relations has become a top priority issue that cannot be delayed any longer.
In a situation where even summit diplomacy is not easy due to Corona 19, a long-awaited opportunity to send a gesture of reconciliation to the Japanese government is the 3/1 speech.
As we go back to the current crisis, there is a ruling in our court for compulsory conscription compensation, so the most interesting is whether President Moon will propose an active solution to this problem.
Earlier at the New Year’s press conference, he said:
[문재인 / 대통령 (지난달 18일 신년 기자회견) : 강제집행의 방식으로 그것이 현금화된다든지 판결이 실현되는 방식은 한일 양국 간의 관계에 있어서 바람직하다고 생각하지 않습니다.]
As a practical alternative right now, we can consider how the Korean government pays compensation to victims first and then claims Japan for compensation.
At the same time, President Moon has the principle that any diplomatic solution must be agreed by the victim.
Moreover, recently, Grandma Lee Yong-soo, a victim of “Japanese military comfort women,” publicly requested that the comfort women problem be resolved within this year.
[이용수 / 일본군 위안부 피해자 (지난 16일) : 이제 시간이 없습니다. 부디 유엔 재판소에 국제법으로 위안부 문제가 판단을 받게 해주십시오.]
In the unlikely event that the two governments reach an agreement, President Moon may directly request a sincere apology from the Japanese government, even to seek the consent of the victims.
No matter what message President Moon gives, Japan is also in a situation where it cannot ignore the call for cooperation from the new US administration, so it is possible to respond appropriately this time.
At least, it is an opportunity to show the international community, especially the US government, that the Korean government is making efforts to improve Korea-Japan relations for peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia.
However, the anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea is revived with a thesis by Professor Ramsey Harvard University recently, and Japan held the Takeshima Day event just a week ago.
Some point out that there is a limit to completely breaking the boundaries of the relationship between Korea and Japan in the 3/1 speech that recalls the pain of the nation and the will of independence.
YTN Na Yeonsu[[email protected]]is.
[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
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