Japanese Prime Minister Likely to Skip President Yoon's Inauguration Ceremony

Likely to Attend on Behalf of Government Ministers Including the Foreign Minister

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It has been reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided not to attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on the 10th of next month.

On the 28th, the Sankei Shimbun, citing multiple Japanese government officials, reported, "The Korean side is expecting Prime Minister Kishida to attend, but (from the Japanese side) it is judged to be premature as no solution to historical issues has been found."

The Japanese government is considering sending ministers such as Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to the inauguration ceremony. A Japanese government official said, "The attendance of the Foreign Minister, despite the Prime Minister's absence, sends a message that (the Japanese government) welcomes the new Korean government's enthusiasm for improving Korea-Japan relations."

During a meeting on the 26th between the Korea-Japan policy consultation delegation dispatched by President-elect Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida, it was reported that they exchanged opinions at a fundamental level regarding issues such as the Japanese military comfort women and forced mobilization during the Japanese colonial period.

A Japanese government official said, "If the Korean side changes its stance after Prime Minister Kishida attends, there is a concern that criticism of the Prime Minister will intensify domestically."

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