By Hwang Jae-ho
Korea-Japan relations are without a doubt one of the most important bilateral relationships for the two countries. The rosiest period for both might have been October 1998 when former Korean President Kim Dae Jung and then Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi issued in Tokyo a "Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Joint Declaration: A New Japan-ROK Partnership toward the Twenty-first Century" comprised of 11 articles.
Prime Minister Obuchi expressed "his deep remorse and heartfelt apology" for the tremendous damage and suffering to the people of Korea during the colonial period (1910-1945). President Kim, in turn, accepted with sincerity this statement of Obuchi's recognition of history and expressed his appreciation for it. He also expressed his view that the present calls for both countries to overcome their unfortunate history and to build a future-oriented relationship based on reconciliation and friendly cooperation.
Today, 20 years after the joint declaration, ties between the two countries, including people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation, have strengthened dramatically. We have more than 10 million people coming and going between Japan and Korea. However, it is truly unfortunate that bilateral relations are challenged by various issues that have happened in Korea, such as judgments by the Korean Supreme Court, "comfort women" or labour statues, territorial disputes and so on. Under such circumstances, Professor Hwang Jaeho of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies sat down at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul with H.E. Nagamine Yasumasa, the Japanese Ambassador to Korea, to ask about the future for the two countries.
Q. As Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne, the new Reiwa era has begun. What is Japan like after the change?
A. The last 30 years of Heisei was the era in which peace was maintained in and out of Japan, while Japan also experienced major economic changes and natural disasters. The new emperor ascended the throne on May 1 and the new era of Reiwa has started. Reiwa is a combination of Rei, meaning beautiful, and Wa, meaning harmony, and it represents the sentiment that a culture comes into being and flourishes when people bring their hearts and minds in a beautiful manner. The Japanese people congratulate the coming of a new era and hope that in the rapidly changing international situation the era of Reiwa will be peaceful, hopeful and harmonious.
Q. What would be the foremost issue for the reconciliation of Korea-Japan relations?
A. The issue surrounding the former laborers from the Korean Peninsula is very serious. The judgments by the Supreme Court of Korea last year ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation to those former workers from the Korean Peninsula, which is against the 1965 Japan-Korea Agreement that stipulates that the problem concerning claims is settled completely and finally. The judgments clearly violate international law. However, the plaintiffs asked that the assets of Japanese companies be seized and also announced that they would seek the sale of those assets. Under such circumstances, the Japanese government has notified of a decision about arbitration?to the Korean government.
Q. The plaintiffs who won the compensation case against the Japanese companies applied for the sale of the seized assets. How would the Japanese government react if the assets were to be sold?
A.I do not think it is necessary to discuss a matter that has not yet happened and I would like to avoid mentioning what might happen and when. However, if it were to come to that, then Japan would not accept the unjust selling of the Japanese companies' assets and it would affect bilateral economic relations as well as the Korean economy. Even though the Japanese government seeks arbitration, there will be room for Korea to improvise a more concrete resolution to the issue.
Q. Prime Minister Abe has been a strong advocate for North Korean denuclearization. But he has recently offered an unconditional summit meeting with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Has there been a change in pressure on North Korea using sanctions?
A. PM Abe has always supported his willingness to meet Chairman Kim and break the mistrust between North Korea and Japan in order to solve the abduction issue. The comment on the unconditional summit meeting only reflects his willingness even clearer. Japan still aims to resolve the various issues, including that of abductees, nuclear arms and missiles, based on the Japan-North Korean Declaration in Pyongyang, to settle the unfortunate past and normalize the bilateral relationship.
Q. I personally think that the leaders of both Korea and Japan should meet in person to resolve these issues. Could there be a Korea-Japan summit meeting on the occasion of the G20 in Osaka this June?
A. Nothing is set at this moment and I hope to avoid any presupposition.
Q. Even though the bilateral diplomatic relationship is not at its best, tourism between the two countries is the biggest yet. What are your thoughts on this?
A. Last year, Korean visitors to Japan reached 7.54 million while the total number of visitors between Korea and Japan recorded its highest of over 10 million. The booming tourism is positive in that it promotes mutual understanding at the citizen level. Recently, there has been an increase in number of Japanese restaurants in Seoul and Japanese products, such as Japanese drinks and desserts, are highly popular among Korean youth. Likewise, K-pop is extremely popular among young Japanese people. Our embassy plans to support people-to-people exchanges in various areas with diverse age groups and classes even more in the future.
Q. The Japanese economy is booming to the degree of the pre-war period. There are some Korean young people wishing to seek employment in Japan due to high unemployment at home.
A. Japan and Korea are each other's third-biggest trade partner and one of the biggest investors for one another. The semiconductor industry, which is the core industry for the Korean economy, is the area where many bilateral exchanges are taking place and supporting the Korean semiconductor industry as a whole, with many Japanese companies supplying equipment and materials for semiconductor production. On the other hand, I do hope that Korean consumers gain a correct understanding of safety of Japanese products and that the import regulation is abolished so Korean citizens can enjoy safe and delicious Japanese produce.
Q. What would you say is the happiest occasion as Japanese ambassador to Korea in the past three years?
A. The happiest occasion is when I visit charming cities of Korea outside Seoul and have a chance to have a conversation with many Koreans. I feel so touched whenever I discover the cultural similarities and differences between Japan and Korea
Q. Is there anything you want to add as to future-oriented Korea-Japan relations?
A. Japan and Korea are friends that help one another in need and they should be that. The Korean government and the citizens of Korea offered their help to Japan faced with catastrophe and I am still highly appreciative of that fact. Japan and Korea are both facing challenges of a low birth rate, aging population and disaster prevention, among others, and I hope we can cooperate more in these regards.
Hwang Jae-ho is director of the Global Security Cooperation Center, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul. Song Min-ju, a researcher at the center, assisted Professor Hwang with the article.
 |
| Japanese Ambassador to Korea H.E. Nagamine Yasumasa. Korea Times file |
Prime Minister Obuchi expressed "his deep remorse and heartfelt apology" for the tremendous damage and suffering to the people of Korea during the colonial period (1910-1945). President Kim, in turn, accepted with sincerity this statement of Obuchi's recognition of history and expressed his appreciation for it. He also expressed his view that the present calls for both countries to overcome their unfortunate history and to build a future-oriented relationship based on reconciliation and friendly cooperation.
Today, 20 years after the joint declaration, ties between the two countries, including people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation, have strengthened dramatically. We have more than 10 million people coming and going between Japan and Korea. However, it is truly unfortunate that bilateral relations are challenged by various issues that have happened in Korea, such as judgments by the Korean Supreme Court, "comfort women" or labour statues, territorial disputes and so on. Under such circumstances, Professor Hwang Jaeho of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies sat down at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul with H.E. Nagamine Yasumasa, the Japanese Ambassador to Korea, to ask about the future for the two countries.
 |
| H.E. Nagamine Yasumasa, left, and Professor Hwang Jae-ho of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Courtesy of Hwang Jae-ho |
Q. As Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne, the new Reiwa era has begun. What is Japan like after the change?
A. The last 30 years of Heisei was the era in which peace was maintained in and out of Japan, while Japan also experienced major economic changes and natural disasters. The new emperor ascended the throne on May 1 and the new era of Reiwa has started. Reiwa is a combination of Rei, meaning beautiful, and Wa, meaning harmony, and it represents the sentiment that a culture comes into being and flourishes when people bring their hearts and minds in a beautiful manner. The Japanese people congratulate the coming of a new era and hope that in the rapidly changing international situation the era of Reiwa will be peaceful, hopeful and harmonious.
Q. What would be the foremost issue for the reconciliation of Korea-Japan relations?
A. The issue surrounding the former laborers from the Korean Peninsula is very serious. The judgments by the Supreme Court of Korea last year ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation to those former workers from the Korean Peninsula, which is against the 1965 Japan-Korea Agreement that stipulates that the problem concerning claims is settled completely and finally. The judgments clearly violate international law. However, the plaintiffs asked that the assets of Japanese companies be seized and also announced that they would seek the sale of those assets. Under such circumstances, the Japanese government has notified of a decision about arbitration?to the Korean government.
Q. The plaintiffs who won the compensation case against the Japanese companies applied for the sale of the seized assets. How would the Japanese government react if the assets were to be sold?
A.I do not think it is necessary to discuss a matter that has not yet happened and I would like to avoid mentioning what might happen and when. However, if it were to come to that, then Japan would not accept the unjust selling of the Japanese companies' assets and it would affect bilateral economic relations as well as the Korean economy. Even though the Japanese government seeks arbitration, there will be room for Korea to improvise a more concrete resolution to the issue.
Q. Prime Minister Abe has been a strong advocate for North Korean denuclearization. But he has recently offered an unconditional summit meeting with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Has there been a change in pressure on North Korea using sanctions?
A. PM Abe has always supported his willingness to meet Chairman Kim and break the mistrust between North Korea and Japan in order to solve the abduction issue. The comment on the unconditional summit meeting only reflects his willingness even clearer. Japan still aims to resolve the various issues, including that of abductees, nuclear arms and missiles, based on the Japan-North Korean Declaration in Pyongyang, to settle the unfortunate past and normalize the bilateral relationship.
Q. I personally think that the leaders of both Korea and Japan should meet in person to resolve these issues. Could there be a Korea-Japan summit meeting on the occasion of the G20 in Osaka this June?
A. Nothing is set at this moment and I hope to avoid any presupposition.
Q. Even though the bilateral diplomatic relationship is not at its best, tourism between the two countries is the biggest yet. What are your thoughts on this?
A. Last year, Korean visitors to Japan reached 7.54 million while the total number of visitors between Korea and Japan recorded its highest of over 10 million. The booming tourism is positive in that it promotes mutual understanding at the citizen level. Recently, there has been an increase in number of Japanese restaurants in Seoul and Japanese products, such as Japanese drinks and desserts, are highly popular among Korean youth. Likewise, K-pop is extremely popular among young Japanese people. Our embassy plans to support people-to-people exchanges in various areas with diverse age groups and classes even more in the future.
Q. The Japanese economy is booming to the degree of the pre-war period. There are some Korean young people wishing to seek employment in Japan due to high unemployment at home.
A. Japan and Korea are each other's third-biggest trade partner and one of the biggest investors for one another. The semiconductor industry, which is the core industry for the Korean economy, is the area where many bilateral exchanges are taking place and supporting the Korean semiconductor industry as a whole, with many Japanese companies supplying equipment and materials for semiconductor production. On the other hand, I do hope that Korean consumers gain a correct understanding of safety of Japanese products and that the import regulation is abolished so Korean citizens can enjoy safe and delicious Japanese produce.
Q. What would you say is the happiest occasion as Japanese ambassador to Korea in the past three years?
A. The happiest occasion is when I visit charming cities of Korea outside Seoul and have a chance to have a conversation with many Koreans. I feel so touched whenever I discover the cultural similarities and differences between Japan and Korea
Q. Is there anything you want to add as to future-oriented Korea-Japan relations?
A. Japan and Korea are friends that help one another in need and they should be that. The Korean government and the citizens of Korea offered their help to Japan faced with catastrophe and I am still highly appreciative of that fact. Japan and Korea are both facing challenges of a low birth rate, aging population and disaster prevention, among others, and I hope we can cooperate more in these regards.
Hwang Jae-ho is director of the Global Security Cooperation Center, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul. Song Min-ju, a researcher at the center, assisted Professor Hwang with the article.
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