Outgoing Japanese PM's visit won't help Yoon overcome 'pro-Japan' criticism: experts

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands during a bilateral summit held on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, July 11 (local time). Yonhap

Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s potential visit to Seoul is unlikely to quell the domestic criticism faced by President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding his perceived pro-Japanese policies, diplomatic observers said, Wednesday.

If the summit takes place, it is anticipated to center on celebrating the progress in bilateral relations and marking a farewell between the two leaders, who have built a personal rapport, experts said. They added that Kishida is unlikely to present new initiatives or issue a fresh apology for historical issues during his visit.

According to the presidential office, Tuesday, Kishida expressed his willingness to visit Korea even before announcing his decision to step down. The Japanese prime minister, whose term is set to end next month, withdrew his bid for re-election as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party last week.

“There have been relevant discussions even before the announcement, but nothing has been decided yet,” a presidential official said, following Japanese media reports suggesting Kishida might visit Korea in early September.

The official added that Yoon is open to meeting his Japanese counterpart at any time as part of their commitment to maintaining regular leader-to-leader visits.

If Kishida does visit, it would be his third trip to Seoul as Japan’s leader, following his most recent visit in May for a Korea-China-Japan trilateral summit. This visit would also mark Yoon and Kishida’s 10th bilateral meeting, including separate and sideline discussions at various multinational events.

Observers told The Korea Times that the proposed meeting would benefit Kishida more than Yoon, given the significant domestic backlash the Korean leader has faced over his handling of historical issues between Korea and Japan.

Yang Ki-ho, a professor of Japanese studies at Sungkonghoe University, said that the summit would give the unpopular Japanese prime minister an opportunity to solidify his diplomatic legacy before his resignation.

“One of Kishida’s few achievements that resonated with the Japanese public is the restoration of diplomatic ties with Korea, which paved the way for the Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral partnership. For him, this visit, likely his last before leaving office, would be a chance to showcase his political legacy,” Yang said.

The professor also viewed the proposed visit as a show of Kishida's appreciation for the significant concessions and proactive steps taken by Yoon to restore relations that had been frozen for years.

A weekly Wednesday rally protesting Japan's wartime sexual slavery of Korean women in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Aug. 14. The day coincided with the Aug. 14 Memorial Day, designated in 2017 to honor the late Kim Hak-sun, who was the first to publicly come forward and testify about her experiences as a victim of Japan's wartime military sexual slavery on Aug. 14, 1991. Yonhap

However, the meeting may not offer the same benefit for Yoon, who has been facing increasing scrutiny here for his perceived pro-Japanese policies and his stance on Japan’s past misdeeds during its colonial rule over Korea (1910-45).

Opposition parties have criticized the Yoon administration for approving the inclusion of Japan’s Sado mines, a controversial site of forced Korean labor during the colonial era, on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July.

Additionally, the appointment of Kim Hyoung-suk to the National Independence Hall earlier this month sparked a backlash from the descendants of independence fighters. Kim, a former scholar, has been accused of justifying Japan’s colonial rule in his previous lectures and speeches, further fueling the controversy.

Adding to the controversy, Yoon’s Aug. 15 Liberation Day speech notably omitted references to Japan’s wartime atrocities, breaking from the tradition of past presidential speeches that addressed these issues. The presidential office’s subsequent explanation — that Japan has issued multiple apologies on various occasions over historical issues and that there is “fatigue” in Tokyo over the matter — has only intensified the backlash.

Given this background, Korean public opinion on Kishida’s potential visit may depend on whether the Japanese leader addresses recent controversies, such as the issue of the Sado mine.

During a Yoon-Kishida summit in Seoul in May 2023, the Japanese leader expressed that his "heart hurts as many people suffered such difficulty and grief under the harsh environment," referring to Korean victims of forced labor, but did not directly address the issue of coerced labor.

“The potential summit, which is highly likely to occur, is expected to focus on promises to maintain warm ties regardless of the leadership change in Japan,” said Lee Won-deog, a professor of Japanese studies at Kookmin University.

Lee said that Kishida is unlikely to address sensitive issues or offer a new apology regarding historical grievances during his visit, as the outgoing leader would want to finish his term on a positive note without creating further controversy.