China News Network, March 3 (Sweet) Since announcing that "out of pocket" on behalf of Japanese enterprises to compensate victims of forced labor in World War II, it has only been ten days since the announcement of "self-payment", South Korean President Yoon Seok-yue began his visit to Japan on the 16th local time.

According to the schedule, the leaders of South Korea and Japan will hold summit talks and joint press conferences. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will also take Yoon Seok-yue to eat his favorite omelet rice as a way to build a relationship of trust.

However, Yoon's visit to Japan has aroused strong opposition in South Korea. Korean media commented that amid criticism of "humiliating diplomacy", it is unclear whether the visit can achieve results.

Data map: South Korean President Yoon Seok-yue.

Yoon Seok-yue visits Japan

Kishida wants to invite him to omelet rice

Yin Xiyue's visit to Japan lasted two days. This is the second visit by a South Korean president to Japan in four years, following then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in's visit to Osaka in June 2019 to attend the G6 leaders' meeting.

According to reports, Yin Xiyue's visit to Japan will have the following schedule:

On the 16th, Yoon Seok-yue held a discussion with Koreans in Japan and had lunch together.

In the afternoon, Yoon Seok-yue held a summit meeting with Kishida to meet with reporters, but would not issue a joint declaration.

After the meeting, Yoon Seok-yue had dinner with Kishida.

It is worth noting that Kishida will prepare two special dinners, the first at a sukiyaki restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, and the second at a Western restaurant founded in 1895.

Japanese media revealed that Yin Xiyue told the Japanese side that when he visited Tokyo before, he had eaten omelet rice at this Western restaurant, which was unforgettable. To this end, Kishida considered arranging a rare "second meeting" at a Western restaurant to allow Yoon Seok-yue to relive the "taste of memories" and build a relationship of trust.

On the 17th, Yoon Seok-yue met with politicians under the Korea-Japan Parliamentary Union and the Korea-Japan Cooperation Committee, and attended the "Korea-Japan Business Roundtable" to meet with business people.

During this period, Yoon will receive Taro Aso, vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party, and Yoshihide Suga, the new chairman of the Japan-Korea Parliamentary Alliance.

Finally, Yoon gave a speech to Japanese university students and Korean international students, and returned to Korea that evening.

Infographic: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) shakes hands with South Korean President Yoon Seok-yue (left) during the ASEAN Summit in November 2022.

Strengthen military cooperation and coordinate the resumption of security dialogues

The heads of state of South Korea and Japan may talk about this

So, what topics may South Korea and Japan consult on during Yoon's visit to Japan?

-- Implementing the World War II Compensation Program for Victims of Forced Labor

Yoon Seok-yue's government recently announced a solution to the problem of compensation for Japan's forced labor victims during World War II, with South Korean companies acting as a third party to raise funds for the defendant Japanese companies.

Despite the controversy in South Korea, the South Korean presidential office insisted that the two heads of state would negotiate a solution.

Citizens' groups protest the South Korean government's settlement of World War II labor claims in Seoul, South Korea, March 3.

– Strengthening ROK-US-Japan and ROK-Japan military cooperation

Discussion on the resumption of the Korea-Japan Agreement on the Protection of Military Information (GSOMIA). In August 2019, South Korea announced the termination of the agreement in protest against Japan's export controls to South Korea, and then changed to a temporary policy. At the Japan-ROK summit, how to normalize the agreement may become a topic.

Recalibrate the ROK-Japan Security Dialogue. The Korea-Japan Security Dialogue has been suspended since March 2018. According to sources, Yoon and Kishida will enter the final coordination on confirming the direction of the resumption of security dialogue between the foreign affairs and defense departments.

– Deepening economic cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Japan

Since 2019, Japan has strengthened export controls on semiconductor materials to South Korea. Recently, Yoon said that the two countries will restart policy dialogue and look forward to deregulating measures.

In addition, South Korean economic giants such as Lee Jae-yong, the "head" of Samsung Group, and Choi Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, will also visit Japan with Yoon Seok-yue to explore economic cooperation solutions with Japanese financial circles.

Data map: Lee Jae-yong.

After 12 years

South Korea and Japan heads of state "shuttle diplomacy" or restart

The South Korean presidential office believes that with Yoon Seok-yue's visit as an opportunity, the leaders of South Korea and Japan are expected to strengthen communication and enhance mutual trust, and the summit's "shuttle diplomacy" will also return to the right track after 12 years.

Then-Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited South Korea in October 2011, and then-South Korean President Lee Myung-bak returned to Japan in December.

But in August 2012, Lee Myung-bak made his first visit to the disputed islands of Japan and South Korea (known as "Takeshima" in Japan and "Dokdo" in South Korea) as South Korean leader, provoking strong opposition from Japan and bringing relations to a stalemate.

In addition, contradictions such as the "comfort women" issue, the claim for victims of forced labor in World War II, and the discharge of nuclear sewage in Fukushima have cooled relations between South Korea and Japan, and the "shuttle diplomacy" between the two heads of state has been interrupted.

Japan's Kyodo News Agency mentioned that in terms of diplomatic etiquette, it was supposed to be the Japanese prime minister's turn to visit South Korea, but Yoon Seok-yue showed his willingness to visit Japan as soon as possible, so this time it was received by the Japanese side.

Regarding the reconciliation signal released by the Yin Xiyue government, Kishida responded on the 10th that in order to strengthen future relations, he will have a "frank exchange of views" with Yin Xiyue.

Kishida has begun exploring a visit to South Korea in the summer of 5 as soon as the G7 summit in May after the G2023 Hiroshima summit, multiple Japanese diplomatic sources also revealed.

South Koreans rally near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on March 2023, 3, holding protest banners with slogans such as "Break the Korea-Japan Agreement on Humiliating Diplomacy."

South Korea is not optimistic in China

"I feel like I hear Japanese ridicule"

The day before his visit to Japan, Yoon Seok-yue once again expressed his expectations in an interview, hoping that the people of South Korea and Japan would "move forward together into the future." But the reality is that South Korea has repeatedly opposed its foreign policy.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said bluntly on the same day, "Yoon Seok-yue's visit to Japan has not yet begun. However, there has long been news of a whole series of concessions, concessions, and concessions, such as surrendering the "ROK-Japan Agreement on the Protection of Military Information" and handing over blank checks on the issue of sewage from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and "the national character has fallen to the bottom." I felt like I heard Japanese ridicule. ”

Some South Korean netizens questioned Japan's trip to a Western restaurant "tailor-made" for Yoon Seok-yue. "How could a formal dinner between the heads of state be held in such a humble restaurant?" "Take him (Yoon Seok-yue) to an omelet restaurant with a rating of 3.5?" "So speechless. Do you want to have dinner with the President of the United States in that kind of place? ”

Image source: Social media screenshots

In this regard, the "Han Minzu Ilbo" commented that in the criticism of "humiliating diplomacy", it is unclear whether Yoon Seok-yue's visit can achieve results.

Some analysts pointed out that although Yoon Seok-yue's move received positive reactions from the United States and Japan, there are still uncertainties as to whether he will pay the domestic political price and whether the Korean-Japanese reconciliation promoted will change course after the next change of owner of the Yongsan presidential palace. (End)