Leading presidential candidates will work toward improved relations with Japan

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Published: 24 Feb. 2022, 18:58 Updated: 21 Mar. 2022, 13:39

Leading presidential candidates will work toward improved relations with Japan

Top two presidential contenders, Lee Jae-myung of ruling Democratic Party, left, and Yoon Suk-yeol of main opposition People Power Party. [YONHAP]

The top two presidential contenders, Yoon Suk-yeol and Lee Jae-myung, will work for future-oriented relations with Japan if they are voted into office, their foreign policy advisers told the Asahi Shimbun.

Wi Sung-lac, foreign policy chief of the campaign of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung, and his counterpart Kim Sung-han, foreign policy chief of the campaign of opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, spoke with the Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese media outlet, on Thursday.

“Japanese people are under the impression that Lee holds strong views against Japan,” Wi told the paper. “This is not true. On the contrary, Lee often tells people how well ordered Japanese society is and how respectful and honest its people are.”

Wi emphasized that Lee will work on improving Korea’s relations with Japan should he be elected president.

“Lee advocates [so-called] practical diplomacy, which means that diplomacy that is not in the interest of the country and the people should not be pursued,” Wi said, adding that Lee is open to cooperating with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), the Indo-Pacific alliance among the United States, Japan, Australia and India.

Foreign policy chief Kim equally stressed Yoon’s dedication to improving ties with Japan.

“When the Yoon regime is born, it will revive the shuttle diplomacy between the leaders and strive to restore trust between Korea and Japan,” Kim was quoted to have said by the paper.

“It is difficult to individually resolve issues such as 'comfort women' victims, forced labor, export restrictions and Gsomia [General Security of Military Information Agreement],” Kim said, adding that a “comprehensive solution” must be in order.

But when it came to the recent bilateral dispute over Japan's recommendation of the Sado mine, where over 1,000 Koreans were forced to work during World War II, to Unesco, both candidates’ foreign policy advisers put their foot down.

“The use of historical issues for political gain must end,” said Kim. “As the right-wing power grows in Japan, the tendency to glorify Japan’s history is growing stronger. Both countries should stop aggravating the public’s feelings on these matters.”

Wi also expressed his concerns over the Japanese plan to enlist the mine as a Unesco World Heritage site.

“It is important to prevent incidents that deteriorate Korea-Japan relations,” he said.

The Sado mine is not the first attempt by Japan to enlist a location where Koreans were subject to forced labor as a Unesco heritage site.

In 2015, it registered sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution at Unesco, which include Hashima Island where around 800 Koreans were forced to work during the Pacific War.

Japan pledged to provide means to ensure visitors are informed of the full history of the sites, including the history concerning Korean forced laborers. Unesco pointed out last July, however, that Japan has not kept its pledge.

The bilateral ties have been at a historic low in recent years, following several issues tied to the history of Japanese annexation of Korea (1910-45).

The Korean Supreme Court made a landmark ruling on Oct. 30, 2018, ordering Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, renamed Nippon Steel last year, to pay 100 million won ($82,000) each to Korean victims of Japanese forced labor during World War II. It made a similar ruling on Nov. 29, 2018, against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The top court acknowledged the illegality of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule and recognized that the individual’s right to compensation has not expired.

The Japanese companies have refused to comply, and plaintiffs began the legal process to seize their assets in Korea. Tokyo maintains that all compensation issues related to colonial rule were resolved through a 1965 treaty normalizing bilateral relations.

Following the court rulings, Japan placed export restrictions on Korea and removed it from its so-called white list of trusted trading partners.

Although Japan has denied direct links between the two, these restrictions were largely seen from Korea as Japan’s retaliation.

From top, Wi Sung-lac, foreign policy chief of the campaign of the ruling DP candidate Lee Jae-myung, and his counterpart Kim Sung-han, foreign policy chief of the campaign of opposition PPP candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, speaking at different forums held in Korea last December and January. [KIM SEONG-RYONG, KIM KYUNG-ROK]

BY LEE YOUNG-HEE, ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]