South Korean delegation insists on 'efforts from both countries' - Japan is fulfilling all its promises - South Korea is the one who is not making enough efforts
2022-05-03
Category:South Korea
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South Korea says that efforts from both Japan and South Korea are necessary
While the recent South Korean delegation's visit to Japan has been reported as if the two countries have once again returned to the direction of improving Japan-Korea relations, the response of the Japanese government, including the prime minister, has been criticized. The South Korean side is keen to improve Japan-Korea relations, and as a result, interviews with the current prime minister, former prime minister, and other ministers were held. The most important point is that a gap that cannot be filled has been identified.
Intentions of the two countries passing each other
The rift is that while Japan is demanding that South Korea "fulfill its commitments," South Korea has consistently stated that "efforts from both sides are needed." This means that South Korea will not make unilateral concessions. More specifically, before the presidential election, President-elect Yoon Seok-Yeol met with Lee Yong-soo, a self-proclaimed representative of former comfort women, and said, ``We must demand an apology from Japan.'' has promised that he will receive it. That's probably what he's saying.
What is the destination that Korea envisions?
What kind of efforts does South Korea want from Japan? For example, is the Japanese Prime Minister going to South Korea, meeting with former comfort women, apologizing, and reporting the moving scene as an attempt to settle the matter? However, if South Korea's next government does not understand that this is an unlikely future, improving relations seems a long way off.
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What are your expectations for President Yun Seok-yue? Twisted National Assembly is a thorny road - Should Japan approve or wait and see? - South Korea's general election will be held in 2024.
Positive theory of Japan-Korea relations and wait-and-see theory
Remains twisted until 2024
Will true speech be freed under the new administration
Korean society will be denounced if it affirms Japanese rule
A country where there is no freedom of speech about history
Looking at Japanese public opinion regarding the prospects for Japan-Korea relations since the inauguration of the Yun Seok-Yeol administration, there are some positive views toward improving relations and a wait-and-see view seen mainly on the right. As always, the affirmative opinion has no concrete content, and since the other party is asking for an improvement in the relationship, things will probably get better. It's just a matter of trying to get along because we're neighboring countries.
The wait-and-see theory is based on the points of the Korean unified local elections in June and the national election in 2024, and that the Democratic Party (a pro-China, anti-Japanese party) holds the majority of the Korean National Assembly.Twisted stateTherefore, unless the ruling party wins the power of the people in the 2024 general election, no bill will be passed, so nothing can be done. Until then, Japan should do nothing and wait and see.
The least I can say is that I don't expect Japan-Korea relations to deteriorate any further during the next five years of the next administration. Personally, I think that if things don't get any worse, there's no need for them to get any better. In other words, there is a necessary distance between Japan and South Korea. This may be the best distance relationship.
In the long run, it would be most effective if the speech of pro-Japanese groups was liberated, rather than if the anti-Japanese movement subsided on the surface. In addition to those who prefer Japanese culture in South Korea, pro-Japanese speech is another form of speech that has been suppressed regarding the annexation of Japan and South Korea and Japan's support for South Korea after the war. Japan has no choice but to wait for South Korea to change, but there is no sign of that happening at all. The appearance of calm on the surface is only a temporary phenomenon. The root of Japan-Korea relations lies within South Korea, where freedom of speech is not recognized regarding the past history of Japan and South Korea. It is impossible to publicly state the fact that the Korean Peninsula modernized under Japanese rule.
Under Japanese rule, slaves, who accounted for half of the population, were liberated, the class system was abolished, a school education system was established, food self-sufficiency increased, starvation deaths decreased sharply, sanitary conditions improved, and cholera and typhoid fever were reduced. The number of deaths due to such things has decreased dramatically. These are facts that do not exist in Korea.
In South Korea's historical perspective, those who affirmed Japanese rule were expelled from academia in order to make the history of being enslaved and violated by Japan into a fact. He was also expelled from politics and government, and media outlets were also blocked. This is an unobjective view of history that only accepts one opinion, and is not academic in the first place. At the root of Japan-Korea relations is this unilaterally created view of history and the education of history based on that view. Unless this changes, we can see that even if the government continues to work together as it has done in the past, it will crumble like a sandcastle. This is exactly what history has proven.
In other words, improving Japan-Korea relations means that South Korea itself will gain academic and speech freedom, that scholars who support Japanese rule will return to academia, that they will return to politics, and that South Korea will become a democratic country where people can have free discussions. . Without this, anti-Japanese education will never disappear. This is an issue that requires the process of South Korea maturing as a democratic country, so it will take a very long time. Therefore, Japan should continue to keep its distance and not approach them easily.
If we look at the past, we are skeptical that politics will improve Japan-Korea relations. This problem is that academic and freedom of speech have not been secured in South Korea in the history of Japan and South Korea.
If the Korean issue is misunderstood, the government will tilt
If Prime Minister Kishida were to do something like that, the Kishida administration would surely collapse, and even in this meeting with the parliamentary group, there are voices calling for Kishida to be removed from the position of prime minister. There are even voices saying that they will not vote for the Liberal Democratic Party in the next House of Councilors election. Reasons for this include the forced labor judgment and the abrogation of the Japan-Korea comfort women agreement.
MEMO Regarding the South Korean delegation's visit to Japan, since it was a group of parliamentarians before the inauguration of the new South Korean government, there were many opinions that Japan should also conduct the visit within the framework of parliamentary exchanges and that the government should not deal with it.
Japan has already apologized many times
The comfort women agreement states, ``This is an issue that has deeply damaged the honor and dignity of many women, and from this perspective, the Japanese government is acutely aware of its responsibility.'' I would like to express my heartfelt apologies and remorse to the people of... Yun Seok-Yeol seems to think that since he has expressed his apology, it would be okay to apologize face-to-face. However, the agreement states, ``As the Japanese government declares the above and steadily implements the measures in (2) above (establishment of a foundation), this announcement will ensure that this issue will be finalized and irreversible.'' to make sure it is resolved."
Japan fulfills all commitments
The 1965 Claims Agreement, including the issue of forced labor, was already resolved. Japan is simply asking South Korea to faithfully implement these agreements. Japan has fulfilled all of its responsibilities , so all that remains is for South Korea to fulfill its own responsibilities. In other words, it is no longer an issue for both countries to make efforts .
What do the efforts of both countries mean?
Jeong Jin-seok, head of the South Korean delegation, claps his hands together and says that only by joining hands like this can relations be improved. Hearing these words, I can't help but think that South Korea's next new government may not even understand what the current situation is. This is because the efforts of these two countries resulted in the Claims Agreement in 1965, the Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration in 1998, and the Comfort Women Agreement in 2015, which is exactly the kind of hand-to-hand situation that Chung described. It is South Korea that unilaterally abolished these . Japan must not take a step back from this line.
POINT If we look at Japan-South Korea relations after the restoration of diplomatic relations, South Korea has completely torn up all previous agreements. Is the next agreement really necessary?
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Kim Koo and Moon Jae In Kim Koo went to North Korea to oppose trust rule and advocate reunification and independence of the two Koreas, but Kim Il Sung did not seem to deal with him.It was also abandoned by the United States.Moon Jae In is very similar.Moon Jae In names Kim Gu as the most respected politician.Do you mean that the right and left sides of Korea are Lee Seung-man and Kim Gu?Either way, they are anti-Japanese.
South Korea's Next Presidential Candidate "I Love the Japanese People" and Continuous Anti - Japanese Remarks.
Lee Jae-myung, a candidate running for South Korea's next presidential election, said on November 25th, ``I love the Japanese people and respect their civility,'' and added, ``Japan invaded South Korea and attacked dozens of people. "He has a history of dominating and expropriating Korea for many years." "He is still dreaming of becoming a military power and is provoking that Dokdo, which South Korea effectively controls, is his own territory. He is also clear about historical issues. It doesn't seem like he is sincerely remorseful, so of course I'm worried."
Lee Jae-myung, an anti-Japanese force who said he loves the Japanese people. What followed was a series of incoherent statements.
First of all, he does not seem to understand the root of the current problems in Japan-Korea relations. This is not a historical issue from the beginning. The problem is that South Korea was taking advantage of its position as a friendly country and taking advantage of its position as a white country to divert strategic materials imported from Japan that require strict control to third countries. .
Then there is the issue of the state of the abrogation of the claims agreement, which is the basis of Japan-South Korea diplomatic relations, by reviving individual claims and issuing compensation orders to the Japanese government and Japanese companies in domestic courts. Without understanding that this is not a problem of the past but an ongoing one, saying that we love the Japanese people will not improve Japan-Korea relations.
The five years of Moon Jae-in created an irreparable rift in Japan-Korea relations. Do they think that if the anti-Japanese mood as a national sentiment subsides, things will be manageable on the surface? Japan has given up on relations with South Korea due to anti-Japanese activities since Moon Jae-in took office, and has continued to build relations with other neighboring countries.
Commitments and work with his new partner are occurring one after another. If you don't fully understand these things, you'll just think it's a childish and shallow idea.
Japan has been putting up with South Korea for many years, but since it was excluded from the white list, it has created partners other than South Korea. Will South Korea ever return to being our most important neighbor?
An Jung-geun's son An Jun-seong, who assassinated Ito Hirobumi. The reconciliation that took place at the Gyeongseong Chosun Hotel and the man named Kim Gu who could not be forgiven
I think everyone knows about Ito Hirobumi. He was assassinated at Harbin Station on October 26, 1909, the year before the Japan-Korea Annexation. The man who carried out the assassination was An Jung-geun. He is still a hero in Korea. On October 15, 1939, a certain person visited a temple called Hakubunji Temple in Korea, which no longer exists, to offer a memorial service. It was An Jung-geun's son, An Jun-seong. He visited as part of a Korean Peninsula Manchuria ship inspection team from Shanghai. The purpose was to offer a memorial service for Ito Hirobumi, who was murdered by his father, An Jung-geun.
The memorial service began at 11:00 and An Jung-geun's memorial tablet was placed next to Ito Hirobumi's portrait. An Jun-seong offered a memorial service for his father An Jung-geun and Ito Hirobumi, and Komada, who recited a sutra, handed An Jung-geun's memorial tablet to him and advised him to mourn the souls of the two men forever.
Afterwards, An Toshio told a reporter who had come to interview him. He lost his father at a young age and neglected to perform the rituals for 30 years. He now prays for the repose of Prince Ito's soul and is happy to receive his father's memorial tablet.
■english subtitles available
The next day, on the 16th, An Toshio headed to the Gyeongseong Chosun Hotel. He was there to meet someone. The person he was meeting was Ito Bunkichi, the son of Ito Hirobumi. In response to An Toshio's request to apologize to Ito Bunkichi, Ito Bunkichi replied: "Our father has already become a god, a Buddha, and returned to the sky." What do we need to apologize for now? Let's be sincere and serve our country instead.
Then, on the following day, the 17th, Ito Bunkichi and An Toshio visited Hakubunji Temple and performed an exchange memorial service for each other's fathers. In Korea, it is firmly believed that Ito Hirobumi was a proponent of the Seikanron, which is Japan's conquest and rule of Korea. Why does it have to be this way? It is thought that Koreans mistakenly believe that Ito was a proponent of the Japan-Korea Annexation because Ito was the governor-general of the Government-General of Korea. However, Ito Hirobumi was opposed to the Japan-Korea Annexation throughout.
An Jung-geun assassinated Ito Hirobumi without even knowing his face. In his autobiography, he clearly wrote that he did not know Ito's face. Ito was no longer the Prime Minister or the Governor-General at the time. He took responsibility for the failure of the policy of reconciliation with Korea and resigned. An Jung-geun shot and killed Ito Hirobumi at Harbin Station. An Jung-geun was arrested on the spot, and after being sentenced to death in court, he said in prison that he had made a serious mistake.
In 1939, An Jung-geun's son An Jun-seong held a memorial service for Ito at Hakubunji Temple, met with Ito's son Ito Bunkichi at the Chosun Hotel, apologized, and reconciled. Kim Gu, an independence activist, could not forgive this. At the time, Kim Gu was an important member of the anti-Japanese Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and the following year in 1940, he became its chairman. An Jun-seong ran a pharmacy in Shanghai, but Kim Gu framed An Jun-seong for the trumped-up charge of selling opium and asked Chiang Kai-shek, the head of the Republic of China at the time, to execute him. It seems that he was quite angry, but what does this mean? Kim Gu was furious that An Jung-geun's son apologized for the murder of his father, Ito Hirobumi, and that he spoke about it in front of the media. An Jung-geun must be a hero. He must be used as a hero for the anti-Japanese independence movement. This was the hope of the forces seeking independence.
In other words, to them, Ito Hirobumi is a proponent of the Japanese-Korean annexation, and should not be the subject of reconciliation. It is not that Koreans have misunderstood somewhere and think that Ito Hirobumi promoted the Japan-Korea annexation, but it is clearly fabricated by the system. The fact that Ito was against the annexation. That An Jung-geun did not even know what Ito looked like. That An Jung-geun said that the assassination was a serious mistake. The fact that the surviving family has already reconciled should not be known in Korea. And it can be said that even today, there are very few Koreans who know this fact. In order to keep An Jung-geun a hero, Ito Hirobumi will forever be a proponent of the Japanese-Korean annexation and an enemy of Korea.
On January 28, 2023, a survey by the Korea Cinema Ticketing Network announced that "Hero," a movie based on An Jung-geun, which was released on December 21 of the previous year, had exceeded 3 million viewers in the 38 days since its release. Three million people is about 5.8% of the population of South Korea.
Moon Jae In wants pictures. Looking at the four years of Moon Jae In, it seems that they think that meeting heads of state and chatting with each other will make the world peaceful.Although the North-U.S. dialogue broke down due to Moon Jae In talked lies, Moon Jae In was just wanted to be photographed on camera, and after joint liaison office between the two Koreas was bombed.In ASEAN suddenly approached former Prime Minister Abe and took a picture they were sitting with Moon Jea In for a few miutes."At the Tokyo Olympics, Japan, South Korea, China and North Korea proposed a four-way summit, but the contents are unclear.When we meet, the world will be at peace.Now it is invalid because North Korea is not participating, but I don't understand why he want to meet the prime ministers.He still seems to think that he can achieve it just leaders meet.
processing trade What is the problem with Korea's trade deficit with Japan?The center of the Korean economy is processing trade.In other words, even if raw materials are purchased from Japan, they are sold to third countries with added value due to commercialization, so they are recorded as GDP in Korea.In other words, it's just added value and passed through.It may be trade deficit for example agricultural products imported from Japan and consumed in Korea are known, but they do not know what is wrong with processing trade.
If the cost of raw materials imported from Japan exceeds 50 percent of the cost of the product, Korea's added value will be less than 50 percent.However, this is not a trade deficit, but a cost management issue.In the first place, products that cost more than 50% of raw materials in the manufacturing industry it would hard to exist for lack of competitiveness.
Korea wants Japan to buy more products made from Japanese raw materials because of the trade deficit, but this is also meaningless.If Korea adds value to the cost of Japanese raw materials and Japan buys them, Japan will buy back the raw materials it sells, so there is no profit for Japan .This is not the cause of the trade deficit, but the competitiveness in the Japanese market.
Moon Jae In is a man who doesn't make no sense.