Lee Jae-myung "We Must Find a Way for Coexistence in Korea-Japan Relations"

Lee Jae-myung, Interview with Japanese Media... "A Community That Helps Each Other Benefits Everyone"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung is responding to a lawmaker's question during the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province held on the 20th of last month at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province and a leading candidate for the ruling party's next presidential nomination, stated that "we must find a path of coexistence and co-prosperity" regarding Korea-Japan relations.

According to the Tokyo Shimbun on the 2nd, in an interview with the outlet, Lee responded to the question "How do you view Korea-Japan relations?" by saying, "There is a perception that I am hostile to Japan, but that is not true. Korea and Japan have a close relationship and cannot ignore each other."

Lee pointed out, "The cautious and considerate attitude of the Japanese people as neighbors is admirable, but some politicians hold militaristic and expansionist views. Political diplomacy and economic-social issues must be distinguished."

Regarding compensation for victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period, he said, "Both sides need courage and determination," but also asked Japan to "understand that Korea has the principle of separation of powers and that politics cannot intervene in Supreme Court rulings."

He added, "Last year, Japan pressured Korea by strengthening export controls. While it caused some pain, Japanese companies also suffered losses. However, if Japanese companies want to enter Gyeonggi Province, we do not block them for political reasons and accept them because it also revitalizes Korean employment and economy."

Lee emphasized, "Creating a community where South and North Korea, Japan, the United States, China, and Russia do not act as adversaries but help each other is beneficial to all."

Regarding being mentioned as a leading candidate for the next presidential election, he said, "It may be because my achievements as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province have been evaluated, but there is about a year and a half left until the presidential election. Public opinion can change in an instant. Rather than trying to capture public sentiment, I will focus on my work as a public official."

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by Realmeter, a professional polling agency, commissioned by OhmyNews from the 26th to 30th of last month surveying 2,576 adults nationwide on preferred candidates for the next presidential nomination showed Lee's preference rating at 21.5%, tying for first place with Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.