South Korean president's comments on Japan are controversial in his own country
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Greenbelt, Maryland, U.S., April 25, 2023. REUTERS - JONATHAN ERNST
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1 min
On Monday, April 24, South Korea normalized its trade relations with Japan. Since 2019, after a dispute over compensation for Japanese war crimes, the two countries had imposed trade restrictions. Seoul has therefore added Tokyo to its whitelist of trusted partners, allowing for easier exchanges. President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke about relations with Japan. But his comment is far from unanimous in South Korea.
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With our correspondent in Seoul, Célio Fioretti
The South Korean president continues his policy of rapprochement with Japan, but it is not to everyone's taste. In an interview with the foreign press on Monday (April 24th), Yoon Suk-yeol, currently visiting the United States, said he "would not accept Japan kneeling before 100 years of history".
In the same interview, the president alluded to Europe, which he said has been able to overcome its historical differences to cooperate. But his comment is far from unanimous. His foreign policy vis-à-vis Japan was seen as humiliating, neglecting Korean interests in favor of the Japanese.
Despite diplomatic rapprochements in recent months, South Koreans are still waiting for an official apology from Tokyo for crimes committed during colonization. This is not the first time the president has been criticized on this issue, but anger is even rising in his own camp.
The three main conservative dailies, Chosun, JoongAng and Dong-A, usually sympathetic to government policy, are firing a red ball at its foreign policy. The presidential party defends itself and claims that the remarks would have been distorted. However, this controversy should not prevent the normalization of trade relations with Japan.
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Read on on the same topics:
- South Korea
- Japan
- Diplomacy
- Yoon Suk-yeol