Failed Summit Talks... South Korea: 'Soma's Controversial Remarks Were Decisive' Japan: 'South Korea's Demands for Results Are the Problem'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Although President Moon Jae-in's plan to improve the stalled Korea-Japan relations through a Korea-Japan summit was thwarted by the Japanese government's passive attitude and inappropriate remarks by a diplomatic official, the Japanese side appears only eager to shift the blame for the summit's cancellation. For now, our government emphasized that the cancellation of the summit does not mean "the end of Korea-Japan relations" and highlighted that there were some achievements during the negotiation process.

Park Soo-hyun, Chief of Communication at the Blue House, explained the background of the cancellation on the morning of the 20th during a radio interview: "There were considerable achievements in the consultations with Japan. However, we could not overlook the impact on public sentiment caused by the inappropriate remarks made by Hirohisa Soma, the Minister-Counselor of the Japanese Embassy in Korea, at the end of the negotiations." Both Korea and Japan made progress on pending issues such as historical disputes, export regulations, and Fukushima contaminated water while preparing for the summit. However, on the 15th, Minister-Counselor Soma caused controversy by using sexual expressions regarding President Moon's efforts to improve Korea-Japan relations during a meeting with Korean journalists. Although Park did not mention it directly, the Japanese government's handling of the controversy also appears to have contributed to the cancellation of the summit.

In another radio interview on the same day, when the host asked, "Was the progress stalled because of Minister-Counselor Soma's incident?" Park responded affirmatively, calling it an "accurate analysis." Nevertheless, he left room for further discussions with Japan. Park relayed that President Moon, who made the final decision not to visit Japan the day before, expressed regret and said, "Although the situation turned out this way, I hope the leaders of both countries will meet anytime." He added, "Japan's will is strong, and our will is fundamentally strong as well, so if an opportunity arises, there is hope for a Korea-Japan summit within President Moon's term."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the Japanese government, which clearly bears responsibility for the summit's cancellation, has not provided any separate explanation. On the 19th, when news of President Moon's cancellation of the visit was reported, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with reporters at the Prime Minister's Office and only gave a general statement: "We want to communicate with Korea based on our country's consistent position to restore Korea-Japan relations to a sound state."

Instead, Japanese media are criticizing the Korean side's stance of demanding a summit on the premise of "achievements." The Mainichi Shimbun pointed out that Korea's demand for a summit accompanied by achievements in the usual diplomatic setting was the cause of the breakdown, while the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that although President Moon and Security Chief Suh Hoon were proactive about the summit, some aides within the Blue House suggested that Japan should be required to produce results from the summit.

While the government expresses its willingness to improve Korea-Japan relations at the official level, it appears to be promoting a "Korean responsibility theory" through the media. Regarding this, Professor Hosaka Yuji of Sejong University analyzed on the radio, "The Suga administration's approval rating has dropped to 20%, so they might have thought it disadvantageous to hold a summit now," adding, "There is an important election in October, so their true intention is probably to hold it after that."

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