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It will be exactly three years on the 1st of the next month since the Japanese government announced the export restrictions on core semiconductor materials to Korea.

This measure, which brought the relationship between Korea and Japan to the worst, is still unresolved.

As a result of SBS coverage, it was confirmed that the Japanese side refused at the last minute to visit Japan by then-President Moon Jae-in, which was held in time for the Tokyo Olympics last year.

It is said that hardliners in the Japanese Prime Minister's Office blocked the summit for fear that export restrictions would be lifted.



This is the exclusive report by Park Sang-jin, Tokyo correspondent.



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Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun on July 19 last year reported that President Moon Jae-in would visit Japan in time for the Tokyo Olympics and that he would also hold a summit meeting with Prime Minister Suga.



However, the Blue House announced that it would not participate in the Olympics on the afternoon of the same day.



[Park Soo-hyeon / Chief of Public Communication at the Blue House (July 19, last year): Although there was an approach of considerable understanding, it is still insufficient to make it a result of the summit, and considering all other circumstances comprehensively…

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At that time, the Blue House explained that more discussion was needed on the restoration of Korea-Japan relations.



He added that the public sentiment toward the remarks of the Japanese embassy in South Korea, Soma, who made disparaging remarks about President Moon, was also taken into account.



However, multiple sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan said that the reason was that Prime Minister Suga rejected the Foreign Ministry's approval of President Moon's visit to Japan hours before the Blue House announcement.



Although Minister Soma's remarks were inappropriate, he said that it was not the decisive reason for the failure of President Moon's visit to Japan, he said.



It is said that pressure from the hardliners in Prime Minister Suga's office was behind the refusal to meet.



It is said that they were concerned that the summit would ease restrictions on exports to South Korea led by former Prime Minister Abe.



A South Korean-Japanese diplomatic source said, "Even during Suga's time, there were many close aides to former Prime Minister Abe."



At that time, President Moon had decided to visit Japan in August, and it was said that his accommodation and schedule for the Olympics had all been set.



In the end, it is pointed out that the Japanese government broke down the Korea-Japan summit to protect Abe's political assets.



(Video coverage: Han Cheol-min, Moon Hyun-jin }