Like Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Secretary of State Yoshihide Suga, who will become the next Japanese prime minister on the 16th, maintains the position that the South Korean Supreme Court's conscription compensation ruling is a violation of international law, so relations between Korea and Japan are expected to continue to be tough.
Suga, who won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election on the 14th, is scheduled to be elected as the next prime minister, succeeding Prime Minister Abe in the Japanese House of Representatives on the 16th.
Governor Suga declared that he would continue the policy line of the Abe regime by jumping into the ``post-Abe'' competition, and in particular, in terms of diplomacy, indicated that he would seek advice from Prime Minister Abe even after retirement.
The foreign policy of the Suga regime is a point that suggests that the Abe regime will be'season 2'.
The observation that Japan's policy toward Korea will not change much is predominant.
In an interview with the Sankei Shimbun on the 6th, Governor Suga said, "The Japan-Korea (Japan) claim agreement is the basis of Japan-Korea (Japan-Korea) relations," regarding the relationship between Japan and Korea, which has worsened due to the compensation for victims of forced mobilization from Japan. ) Is of course."
In an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 7th, he said, "In Korea-Japan relations, we will thoroughly respond to violations of international law."
Since the issue of conscription victims was completely and irreversibly resolved by the Claims Agreement concluded between Korea and Japan in 1965, the Abe regime's position that the Korean Supreme Court's indemnification ruling in October 2018 violated international law was repeated.
Governor Suga, as the government's spokesman, the Secretary of State, has argued at numerous press conferences that the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling for compensation for conscription is a violation of international law and that the South Korean government should take the initiative to come up with a solution.
The issue of compensation for conscription is a key conflict between Japan and Korea, and the assets of the defendant Japanese company in Korea have been seized by the court.
Japanese government ministers have announced that if a Korean court sells the assets of a Japanese company, they will take retaliation.
Regarding the forcible sale of the assets of Japanese companies seized at a briefing by the Secretary of State on the 4th of last month, Governor Suga said, "Working closely with related companies, keeping all kinds of options in view from the viewpoint of protecting the legitimate economic activities of Japanese companies and responding responsibly. I want to do it."
On the 1st of the same month, he said, "The government is reviewing all countermeasures," and said, "The direction is clear."
If a Korean court sells the assets of a Japanese company after the inauguration of the Suga regime, the Japanese government may take countermeasures and the relationship between Korea and Japan may be at its worst.
However, as Prime Minister Abe, who led the'beaten' in Korea, retires and a new regime is launched in Japan, there is a possibility that an atmosphere of dialogue between Korea and Japan will be created.
He expressed his determination to always communicate with South Korea and China at a debate on candidates for governor of the Liberal Democratic Party hosted by the Japanese Journalists Club on the 12th, saying, "It is important to establish a clear relationship with Asian countries based on the alliance between Japan and the United States."
On the 9th, at the LDP governor's election'review speech', he said, "We will build stable relations with neighboring countries including China," but on the 12th, Korea was also mentioned.
In addition, he is known to have objected to Prime Minister Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine in December 2013, saying that "economic regeneration takes precedence," and, unlike Prime Minister Abe, he was also evaluated that he was not a "right wing from the bones".
There is also a view that he is a politician with a sense of balance, unlike Prime Minister Abe, who advocated historical revisionism.
Gi-ho Yang, professor of Japanese Studies at Anglican University, said, “I am a politician with a sense of balance,” and said, “You will be aware of the need to manage the relationship between Korea and Japan, and there will be room for dialogue.” We forecast through newspaper articles.
Professor Yang diagnosed, "If the (Korea-Japan) leaders can confirm mutual trust and seek an exit strategy at the opportunity such as the Korea-China-Japan summit meeting, that is a step forward."
(Photo = Getty Image Korea)