Park Suhyun "Aware of Opposition to Japan Visit... Cannot Act Solely on Emotions Towards Japan"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Park Soo-hyun, Chief of Public Communication at the Blue House, addressed public opposition to President Moon Jae-in's visit to Japan, stating, "As the government responsible for national affairs, we cannot act solely based on emotions with our closest neighbor, Japan."

On the morning of the 14th, Park said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "Historical issues should be treated as historical issues, and we will cooperate on future-oriented matters based on a two-track principle."

Park added, "Some say we are rushing to achieve results within the term, but this is not a matter to be judged by that," and stated, "The Korea-Japan relationship is an issue that must be resolved for the national interest of the Republic of Korea."

Regarding President Moon's potential visit to Japan, Park maintained the existing stance, saying, "If the visit takes place in connection with the Tokyo Olympics, we hope to hold a Korea-Japan summit and achieve results that can give hope to the people of both countries." When asked whether the 'results that can give hope' pertain to forced labor or semiconductor issues, he replied, "Since working-level contacts are ongoing, the Blue House cannot comment specifically."

No questions were raised about the Japanese Defense White Paper, which caused controversy the previous day due to claims over Dokdo sovereignty.

In response to criticism that field experts' opinions are not being reflected after the appointment of Ki Mo-ran as the Director of Quarantine Planning, Park said, "That is absolutely not true," and added, "Although you may doubt it because we have lived in an era where a single word from the Blue House could decide everything, that is not the case at all, and we have never changed the principle of prioritizing all experts' opinions."

He explained that the surge in confirmed cases was anticipated and that Director Ki also reported on this, but the Blue House made decisions such as lifting outdoor mask mandates considering the livelihood economy. Park said, "We listen to the opinions of quarantine experts, but we also consider how to sustain the struggling livelihood economy," and added, "How to wisely make such decisions is the government's concern."

Furthermore, Park dismissed calls for Director Ki's dismissal by emphasizing that she is not a control tower but rather "a bridge between various government agencies and the Blue House," and he also disagreed with criticisms suggesting that Director Ki misjudged the situation.

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