Hoping Moderate Relations with New ROK President

The leader of Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, won the presidential election of the Republic of Korea on June 3rd. Lee defeated conservative candidate after his predecessor was impeached with abrupt martial law laid last December, causing public opposition to the undemocratic use of power. Shigeru Ishiba administration of Japan hopes to maintain momentum of improvement in bilateral relations with Lee.

Lee achieved a victory against conservative Kim Moon-soo with the People Power Party, who was effectively designated as the successor of Yoon Suk Yeol. As the leader of liberal power in ROK politics, Lee has been known in Japan as a hardliner against Japan, especially in history issues. It was reported that Lee once called Japan enemy, protesting Japan’s discharge of “processed water” from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

 

However, Lee changed his stance to a realism in presidential campaign, redefining Japan as an important partner of the ROK. While he had been accusing the decision of Yoon to accept a deal with Japan to settle the dispute over Japan’s wartime forced labor without compensation of Japanese corporations, Lee upholds practical diplomacy toward Japan seeking benefit of South Korea.

 

“Policy coherence is extremely important in managing relations between nations,” told Lee about relationship with Japan to the reporters after he was sworn in as the president. He insisted priority to maintain trilateral partnership with the United States and Japan. “I hope the two countries (the ROK and Japan) will collaborate where possible and address differences as needed, without mixing up current issues,” said Lee.

 

Suffering from low approval rate for his handlings of minority government in the House of Representatives, Ishiba has no choice to exacerbate bilateral relationship with new ROK president. “I hope to make out bilateral exchange more active in this sixtieth anniversary from diplomatic normalization with the ROK,” told Ishiba. Ishiba meanwhile raised common issue between Japan and the ROK, including acceleration of aged society, demographic concentration to capital and alliance with the United States.

 

Japan has been seeking multi-lateral security framework of like-minded countries in Asia-Pacific region to counter unilateral advance of China. South Korea must be a key partner to deal with threat of North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. It is indispensable for Japan to coordinate security strategy with the ROK for China’s possible invasion to Taiwan.

 

As a hardliner against South Korea, former prime minister Shinzo Abe did not establish moderate relationship with the ROK under the leadership of president Moon Jae-in. Abe was recognized as reviewing Japan’s responsibility for the issue of wartime comfort woman, which caused firm protest in South Korea. It is easier for the leaders of both countries to improve their bilateral relations than in the time of “most difficult situation in post-war Japan and the ROK” under Abe and Moon’s leaderships.

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