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Sun, March 26, 2023 | 02:58
-------------------------
Japan likely to attend military games here
일본 자위대, 문경세계군인체육대회 참관할 듯
Posted : 2015-07-16 16:59
Updated : 2015-07-17 13:22
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks up during a plenary session at the lower house in Tokyo, Thursday. Japan's lower house of parliament approved legislation that would allow an expanded role for the nation's military in a vote boycotted by the opposition. / AP-Yonhap
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks up during a plenary session at the lower house in Tokyo, Thursday. Japan's lower house of parliament approved legislation that would allow an expanded role for the nation's military in a vote boycotted by the opposition. / AP-Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye


Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are likely to attend the upcoming Military World Games to be held here in early October, as an observer for the first time since the Games began in 1995.

Japan had refrained from participating in the quadrennial global sports event for soldiers because the status of its armed forces was not equivalent to that of other countries.

However, Japan has changed its position to compete in the Games, and the International Military Sports Council (CISM), the organizer of the Games, gave a positive response, sources said.

The move is seen as an apparent effort by the Shinzo Abe administration to become a "normal" state with a full-fledged military.

However, possible participation in the Games may trigger resistance from Korea and China, among other countries, which still have bitter memories of Imperial Japan's militarism before and during World War II.

Olivier Verhelle, a CISM official who helps manage the Games, said his organization sent open invitations to Japan and 40 other nations that meet the basic statutory conditions to join the council.

"For the moment, all these nations have the right to attend the Games as observers, not fielding athletes," he told The Korea Times.

"The initiative was taken in a common endeavor to enhance our motto, ‘Friendship through Sport.' We do not apply any specific treatment to Japan."

He said he is optimistic that Japan will join the CISM in the very near future, saying positive discussions were had between the organization and Tokyo over the past six months.

Verhelle said the CISM's previous internal regulations had a very strict definition of armed forces, but it revised them last year to add more "comprehensive flexibility."

"The modifications are not only addressed to Japan, but around the world. There are many nations that do not have purely armed forces, but rather have defense forces, security forces and national guards," he said. "So we judged it was not fair to block these nations from joining our organization."

An official from the organizing committee for the 2015 World Games Korea said that Japan is hoping to come for the Games, saying that the country asked the CISM on March 20 to allow its entry into the 2015 Games.

"Some generals of the SDF may come to observe the Games. We won't be able to say exactly whether they will attend until next month after the deadline for applications," he said.

The official noted that Japan's move reflects its desire to have the SDF be globally recognized as a military.

"We do not have the right to block the country's participation as this is a sports event, which should be separated from political matters," he said.

An official of the Ministry of National Defense said it was improper for the government to speak about a foreign country's move to join the CISM or the organization's possible decision to accept it.

"There could be opposition inside Japan against the country's effort to earn recognition of the SDF as a military," he said. "If the forces want to be recognized, the country should act responsibly."

Article 9 of the Japan's postwar Constitution prohibits the use of force to settle international disputes. This is why the SDF have not been recognized as a formal military.

However, the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has adopted a new interpretation to its pacifist constitution and pushed through controversial security bills in order to enable expansion of the role of its forces overseas.

On Thursday, Japan's lower house of parliament approved the legislation in a vote boycotted by the opposition.




일본 자위대, 문경세계군인체육대회 참관할 듯

일본 자위대가 10월 문경에서 열리는 세계군인체육대회에 옵저버 자격으로 참가할 것으로 보인다.

1995년 대회가 처음 시작한 이후, 처음 있는 일이다.

그간 자위대는, 군대의 보유를 금지한 일본 평화헌법에 따라 군대로 인정받지 못했기 때문에, 세계군인체육대회에 참가가 제한됐었다.

하지만 최근 일본측이 대회 참관을 희망하고 있는 것으로 알려졌고, 이에 대해 대회를 주관하는 국제군인스포츠위원회(CISM) 역시 긍정적인 반응을 보이고 있다.

이는 국제적으로 자위대를 군대로 인정 받고, 일본을 “정상국가”로 변모시키겠다는 아베 신조 총리 구상의 일환으로 보이며, 한국과 중국의 반발을 가져올 것으로 예상된다.

CISM 하계대회 프로젝트 매니저 Olivier Verhelle는, 일본을 포함해 기본 조건을 충족하는 40여개국에 CISM에 가입하라는 초청장을 발송했다고 밝혔다.

그는 코리아타임스에 “지금 그 국가들은 선수가 아닌 옵저버로 대회 참가가 가능하다”면서 “이는 ’스포츠를 통한 우정’이라는 모토에 따르는 것으로, 일본을 다르게 대우하지는 않는다”고 말했다.

그는 또, CISM과 일본이 지난 6개월 간 긍정적인 대화를 주고 받았다면서, “일본이 조만간 CISM에 가입 하는 것에 낙관적”이라고 밝혔다.

일본의 CISM 가입이 가능해 진 이유는 CISM이 작년에 내부규정을 개정하면서 “군대”의 정의를 좀 더 유연하게 바꾸었기 때문이다.

Verhelle는 “이러한 개정은 비단 일본에만 적용되는 것은 아니다. 일본 말고도 전 세계적으로 방어부대, 치안부대, 경호대 등 정식군대가 아닌 군대를 가지고 있는 나라들이 많다”면서 “이러한 국가들의 가입을 막는 건 공정하지 않다는 결론을 내렸다”고 말했다.

2015세계군인체육대회조직위원회 조직위원회 관계자 역시, 일본이 지난 3월20일 CISM측에 대회 참관을 요청했다면서, 일본이 문경대회에 오는 것을 희망하고 있는 것이 맞다고 전했다.

이 관계자는 “자위대 장군 몇 명이 올 것으로 예상된다. 8월1일부터 참가접수가 시작되니 그때쯤 확실히 알 수 있을 것”이라고 말했다.

그는 또 “일본이 만약 온다면 우리는 막을 권리는 없다. 스포츠대회는 정치적 이슈와 분리되기 때문”이라고 말했다.

국방부 관계자는 일본이 CISM에 가입을 하는 것이나, CISM이 그것을 받아들이는 것에 대해서 정부가 왈가왈부 하는 것은 적절치 않다고 밝혔다. 다만, “자위대를 군대로 인정받고자 하는 일본의 노력에 대해 일본 내부에서 반대여론이 일어날 수는 있다. 자위대가 국제적으로 군대로 인정을 받고자 한다면 일본은 책임 있는 행동을 보여야 할 것”이라고 말했다.

‘평화 헌법’이라 불리는 일본 헌법 9조는 일본에 전쟁과 군대 보유를 금지하는 내용을 담고 있다. 이것이 자위대를 군대로 인정하지 않는 까닭이다.

하지만 아베 정부는 평화헌법의 해석 변경을 통해, 집단자위권 등을 행사하는 안보법안 처리를 강행하고 있다.

일본 집권 여당은 16일, 집단자위권 법안을 중의원에서 강행 처리했다.

전지혜 기자
Emailjjh@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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