[Column] No more backpedaling on the bilateral relations

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[Column] No more backpedaling on the bilateral relations

Lee Joon-gyu
The author is a former Korean Ambassador to Japan and former president of the Korean Council on Foreign Relations.

After announcing a novel solution to Japan’s wartime forced labor issue — a major obstacle to improving Korea-Japan relations — on March 6, President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Japan from March 16 to 17. He had a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and made a breakthrough in improving the bilateral relations that had long been left unattended. I was told that President Yoon pushed his agenda with a firm determination despite his aides’ advice that he should be cautious about visiting Tokyo at a time when the Japanese government did not respond to pending issues such as wartime forced labor.

As expected, we see fierce criticism and opposition in Korea. Some forced labor victims have expressed objection to the government’s proposed solution. Opposition parties are criticizing the measure, calling it “submissive diplomacy” or “a diplomatic humiliation.” According to opinion polls, a majority of the citizens are in favor of improving relations with Japan, but oppose solutions that make them feel like they are giving way to Japan. There has been no real apology from Japan and it made few concessions on pending issues, but Yoon voluntarily yielded, they claimed.

Then what are the alternatives? Is there a possibility that Japan will apologize someday to a level that Korea would be satisfied with if Korea pushes and criticizes Japan? If Korea negotiates well, is there a possibility that the so-called war criminal companies would admit their wrongdoings and compensate with atonement?

Given that the Moon Jae-in administration had left Korea-Japan relations in its worst state over the past five years, the answer is “no.” In other words, there is no possibility of that happening. Moreover, the “trust assets” that had existed on various channels between the two countries have completely run out for five years under the liberal Moon administration. While Korea distrusted Japan, Japan’s distrust of Korea also has grown tremendously. Japan criticizes Korea for easily reversing and changing positions even after making international agreements such as the 1965 Basic Treaty on normalization of diplomatic relations between Seoul and Tokyo, which included the settlement of war claims.

It was Yoon’s decision to find an opportunity to improve Korea-Japan relations this time. Restoring mutual trust was the priority to break through the tense relations. Yoon understood this and used various opportunities to constantly show how strongly he was willing to improve bilateral relations. In addition to several opportunities to meet Kishida in person, he also used the August 15 Liberation Day and March 1 Independence Day commemorative speeches.

The meeting with former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, who visited Seoul in November 2022, was also an important opportunity to confirm Yoon’s sincerity to Japan. Tokyo must have considered Yoon’s decision to visit Japan as a very positive sign at a time when Korea’s demands on bilateral issues were not fully met by Japan.

Signs of changes are detected in Japan before and after Yoon’s visit to Japan. There are voices calling for Kishida and Japan to respond to Yoon who took political risk and made bold moves. Once the two countries’ trust is established, Japan also will make efforts to fill the glass that Korea has half filled.

If bilateral relations improve, it will not stay in the line of resolving current issues facing Korea. Cooperation will be activated in all directions, including economy, culture, security and military, amid the U.S.-China hegemony competition and the Ukrainian war. This will certainly be a tremendous positive boost to each other in the complex international situation.

The opposition party can complain or criticize the government’s efforts to improve relations with Japan — and the outcomes of diplomatic negotiations with Tokyo. But one thing is clear: we have nowhere to fall back on now. If this effort to improve Korea-Japan relations is canceled due to domestic opposition — and if Korea-Japan relations deteriorate again — this will be the worst situation for us.

In addition to the harms to the political, security and economic sectors as a result of the worsening bilateral relations, Korea-U.S. relations also will be in trouble if cooperation among Korea, the United States and Japan is damaged. In that case, Korea’s credibility in the international community will fall drastically. The biggest problem is that it will be difficult to create an opportunity to improve relations between Korea and Japan again.

Tokyo must actively respond to make the barely started improvement efforts successful. Seoul also must do its best. Both the opposition parties and the citizens must work together to make Korea-Japan relations move forward, not backward.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
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