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| Staff stand near the emblem of G20 2019 Japan at the entrance of the press center of G20 Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' Meeting in Fukuoka, western Japan, Friday. AP-Yonhap |
By Park Ji-won
South Korean politicians and government officials are looking for ways to find a breakthrough in the deteriorating Seoul-Tokyo relations before the upcoming G20 summit in Osaka. However, Cheong Wa Dae's hawkish stance on the matter is making it harder, sources familiar with the matter said, Monday.
"Lawmakers can visit Japan at any time to discuss thorny pending issues including South Korean victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period, but nothing has been decided yet as the National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang hasn't gave them any orders. No signs of a possible visit to Tokyo by lawmakers has been seen," an official at the Assembly told The Korea Times asking not to be identified.
The Assembly launched the parliamentary body on May 24 to find ways to improve ties with other countries including Japan.
Lawmakers from the country's major political parties were named to lead each forum by country. Seasoned lawmaker Rep. Suh Chung-won, also a former chief of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union, reportedly planned to visit Japan by the end of May or the beginning of June hoping to find ways to ease the strained relations between Seoul and Tokyo.
"The government should take the initiative. Otherwise, it is hard for us to take any actions," the official added. "It is early to say, but there is a possibility that Suh will visit Japan before G20. The parliamentary body led by Suh will deal with the situation and know the details of the visit," an official at the National Assembly office said.
However, the Assembly Speaker's office had a different stance on the matter, claiming that lawmakers should take the lead to resume talks with Japan.
They say the dissonance between lawmakers is attributable to the presidential office's hardline stance on historical issues with Japan, which respects South Korea's court ruling ordering Japanese firms to compensate the forced labor victims and asks Japan to take a more "humble" attitude regarding the past. The presidential office hasn't been taking visible steps to improve ties with Japan, which makes it difficult for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Assembly to take next steps.
On June 5, Kim Jung-han, the foreign ministry's director-general for Asian and Pacific affairs, met with his Japanese counterpart Kenji Kanasugi but the meeting only reaffirmed their different stances.
Another concern is Japan-related issues are not top priority for Cheong Wa Dae and President Moon is pushing to maintain "a wait and see approach."
"Unless Japan changes its attitude, the government will not take next steps as it is related to Moon's peace initiative on the Korean Peninsula," another Assembly source said.
"Japan is an important country for South Korea and government officials are aware of it. However, as long as Japan continues to unilaterally claim North Korea should get rid of its weapons, which can attack Japan as well, there is little that the Moon Jae-in government can do to mediate."
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