Asahi: "Japan's Refusal of Korea-US-Japan Joint Press Conference Is an Unwise Decision"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japanese media have criticized the Japanese government's refusal to hold a joint press conference with South Korea and the United States as an unwise move.

On the 22nd, Asahi Shimbun, in an editorial addressing the issue of declaring an end to the Korean War, condemned the visit of the South Korean National Police Agency chief to Dokdo as a "reckless act" that disregards the Korea-Japan relationship.

It added, "Japan's decision to forgo the opportunity to demonstrate the unity of Japan, the U.S., and South Korea (ROK-U.S.-Japan) because of that (Kim's visit to Dokdo) cannot be called wise," and pointed out that "a shaken trilateral cooperation system only benefits North Korea."

Choi Jong-geon, First Vice Foreign Minister of South Korea, Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, and Takeo Mori, Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, were scheduled to hold a joint press conference after the 9th Trilateral Vice Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the U.S. Department of State building in Washington, D.C. on the 17th (local time). However, the press conference was canceled after Vice Minister Mori refused to attend, citing Kim's visit to Dokdo on the 16th as a pretext.

Meanwhile, Asahi Shimbun expressed support regarding the declaration to end the Korean War, stating, "It is natural to seek an official end to the war after nearly 70 years of maintaining the armistice agreement signed in 1953."

However, Asahi noted that the usual process to officially end a war moves from an armistice agreement to a peace treaty, and that a declaration of the end of the war is generally an unofficial political message. It argued that South Korea, the U.S., and Japan should carefully examine and share their understanding of when and how to use such a declaration.

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