Japan's 'Rude Remarks' Made... But Cheong Wa Dae Says "Moon's Visit to Japan, All Possibilities Remain Open" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Amid the ongoing tensions between South Korea and Japan over President Moon Jae-in's planned visit to Japan during the Tokyo Olympics, a Japanese official made insulting remarks about President Moon, yet the Blue House still stated that "all possibilities remain open."

On the 18th, when asked by reporters about the negotiation status with Japan regarding the visit, a Blue House official said, "As before, nothing has been finalized.

The official added, "We are approaching this with an open mind, keeping all possibilities in mind until the very end," and urged "a sincere and forward-looking response from the Japanese side regarding the outcomes of the talks."

This maintains the Blue House's existing stance on the visit to Japan.

Although a Japanese official used 'sexual expressions' in a disparaging manner about President Moon's diplomacy, there still appears to be room for the visit to take place.

The decision on whether the visit will happen is expected to be made between the 19th and 20th.

This is because Japan is applying a three-day self-quarantine rule to Olympic-related entrants, including Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President.

Counting backward, this means a decision must be made by the 20th at the latest.

Accordingly, political circles anticipate that the weekly meeting between Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and President Moon on the 19th will likely finalize the decision on the visit and the accompanying delegation.

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