Candidates similar in foreign policy

The Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate Park Geun-hye signs a guestbook at the April 19 Revolution Memorial in Seoul, Tuesday. Describing the revolution as a“tragedy in the history of modern Korea,” she wrote that she would embrace those who suffered because of the incident and encouraged people to move forward together. The revolution was an uprising that happened in 1960 which overthrew President Syngman Rhee. / Yonhap

By Kim Young-jin

The presidential candidates are taking a cautious approach toward bitter diplomatic rows in Northeast Asia without diverting from public sentiment, election watchers said Tuesday.

Amid a rancorous debate between Seoul and Tokyo over the Dokdo Islets, both conservative Park Geun-hye and liberal independent Ahn Cheol-soo issued remarks Monday that alluded to the need for Japan to come to grips with its colonial past.

The three presidential candidates, who also include liberal Moon Jae-in, have offered few concrete steps towards mending ties. But in a contest heavily focused on domestic concerns ― and short on foreign policy debate ― analysts said it was in their best interest not to wander too far into the fray.

“They want to make a strong impression for domestic consumption that they do care about Korea’s stance on historical and territorial issues,” Bong Young-shik, a senior researcher with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said. “But they also want to say that they are all for reconciliation with countries with which we have these issues.”

Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor at Korea University, added that the candidates are well aware of the volatility of such matters. “They will be very cautious not to stir up these issues. Their actual policy will take shape more once in office.”

The candidates’ remarks came at a conference hosted by the Seoul-based Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, a joint effort established last year.

Cooperation in the economically-vibrant region is considered imperative as given factors such as aging populations and North Korea, an impoverished country that brandishes a nuclear weapons program. The debate over Dokdo and a spat between China and Japan over an archipelago in the East China Sea, however, have raised doubts over such prospects.

Park applied her “trust-building” approach on North Korea to relations in Northeast Asia and stressed that a “correct understanding” of historical issues must be reached to move toward co-prosperity. Ahn called on Japan to issue a sincere apology to its neighbors over its colonial past but also highlighted the importance of increased regional cooperation.

If the tone on Japan remains cautious, the incoming president is likely to contrast with the initial days of administration of Lee Myung-bak, who openly aimed to warm the relationship. This would not preclude him or her, however, from seeking to improve the atmosphere once taking office.

“It has been a trend for the new leader, taking advantage of political capital, to send a positive message of reconciliation to Tokyo,” Bong said, adding that sentiment had “calmed” in recent weeks.

“Both sides are exhausted with difficult, turbulent relations,” the expert pointed out, explaining why the new leader was likely to take such a tone.

The spat, which began when President Lee Myung-bak visited the area in August, has Korean businesses concerned about a drop in tourism from its neighbor, which has seen a drop in Japanese car sales here.

In regard to China, the three candidates have all indicated that boosting relations with China will be a key policy task. Moon and Ahn have emphasized the need to strike a balance in Korea’s relations with its main ally Washington and top trade partner Beijing.

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