Japanese Media: "President Moon's Reconciliation Gesture Was Made with US Biden in Mind"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japanese media have evaluated that President Moon Jae-in's gesture of reconciliation toward Japan in his March 1st Independence Movement Day commemorative speech was made with the Biden administration in mind.

On the 2nd, Asahi Shimbun reported that instead of directly criticizing Japan over issues such as comfort women and forced laborers in his March 1st speech, President Moon appealed for the improvement of Korea-Japan relations.

The newspaper, citing a diplomatic official in Seoul regarding President Moon's remarks that Korea-Japan cooperation contributes to stability in Northeast Asia and trilateral cooperation among Korea, the U.S., and Japan, analyzed, "The U.S. is strongly urging South Korea to improve Korea-Japan relations, so this statement appears to reflect the intentions of the Biden administration, which values alliances and international cooperation."

Yomiuri Shimbun also quoted a South Korean government official, diagnosing that President Moon's emphasis on improving Korea-Japan relations is because "the Biden administration, which seeks to strengthen Korea-U.S.-Japan ties, is pressuring for better Korea-Japan relations," and "there are circumstances where the Biden administration's intentions, for which cooperation on North Korea policy is essential, cannot be ignored."

Regarding President Moon's remark that Korea's growth over the past several decades has helped Japan's development and Japan's growth has helped Korea's development, Yomiuri noted, "Turning attention to a reciprocal relationship since the normalization of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations in 1965 is an attitude not seen in the Moon Jae-in administration until now," highlighting this point.

It added, "The Japanese side will also need to promote dialogue if Korea proposes solutions worth considering."

Yomiuri, citing Korea-Japan diplomatic sources, reported that the Moon administration is trying to persuade plaintiffs with a solution where the Korean government would pay compensation on behalf of Japanese companies regarding lawsuits over forced labor during Japanese colonial rule, but is facing strong opposition from some.

The newspaper analyzed that President Moon's repetition of the existing position in this March 1st speech, stating, "The Korean government will always seek wise solutions from the perspective of victim-centeredness," seems intended to appeal that the government cannot push forward ignoring the plaintiffs' opposition.

Nihon Keizai Shimbun assessed President Moon's March 1st speech as "not mentioning specific solutions demanded by Japan, but appearing to adopt a policy to avoid further deterioration of Korea-Japan relations considering the adverse effects on domestic politics and other factors."

Additionally, the newspaper evaluated that although President Moon, at the January New Year's press conference, acknowledged the 2015 Korea-Japan comfort women agreement as an official government agreement and expressed willingness to persuade the plaintiffs, the conflicting claims between Japan and the plaintiffs and the Moon administration's slow response have already revealed limitations in its ability to resolve the issue.

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