Considering Visit to ROK in January

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba considers to visit the Republic of Korea in January, as an exercise of “shuttle diplomacy” between both governments. The leaders will commemorate sixtieth anniversary of normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and ROK and discuss further development of their bilateral relationship. Ishiba hopes to take a momentum for his administration to promote security assurance in East Asia region.

The bilateral relationship between Japan and ROK has been on the track of improvement, getting rid of the worst situation in post-World War II era by the leaders of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Moon Jae-in. Ishiba’s predecessor, Fumio Kishida, agreed with President Yoon Suk Yeol on resuming the shuttle diplomacy in March, 2023. Kishida advised Ishiba to maintain the relationship with ROK through exchanging visits each other.

 

Although governmental efforts for settling the issue over forced labor of Korean people by the government of Japan in the war time has been taking steps forward by Yoon’s decision of compensating for the sufferers, the bilateral relationship between Japan and ROK has not been completely normalized.

 

One of the issues unsettled is labor in the gold mine in Sado, an island offshore Niigata. A private company mobilized Korean people to the works in the gold mine in Sado in the pre-war era. The hard works there took a number of Korean lives. When Japan sought candidacy of Sado Gold Mine for the World Heritage of UNESCO, ROK resisted it, arguing that the gold mine had been a place of forced labor. ROK later approved the candidacy with some conditions.

 

Sufferers’ resentment remains. ROK did not attend a commemoration for the victims in Sado gold mine on November 24th. It was reportedly because ROK did not want to accept commemorative speech of Parliamentary Vice-minister for Foreign Affairs, Akiko Ikuina, who had been reported by Kyodo News Agency as visited Yasukuni Shrine on August 15th, in 2022. ROK took place another commemoration ceremony for forced labor in Sado on November 25th.

 

The report of Kyodo was proved to be incorrect. However, it is supposed that ROK would have a ceremony separated from Japan’s commemoration, regardless the report was correct or not. Ishiba needs to understand that negative memories against Japan remain in the mind of Korean people.

 

In the meeting with President Yoon, Ishiba hopes to discuss expansion of bilateral security cooperation, given closer relations between Russia and North Korea and active moves of Chinese military in Pacific Ocean. Trilateral relations including the United States, keeping in mind of inauguration of President Donald Trump in January. If Ishiba is successful in enhancing the bilateral relations with ROK, it will be a momentum for re-boost his administration.

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