Japanese Foreign Minister Seeking Han Says "Will Restore Healthy Korea-Japan Relations" (Comprehensive Report 2)

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa is visiting South Korea to attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol. This visit marks the first time in about four years that a Japanese foreign minister has visited South Korea since then-Foreign Minister Kono Taro attended the Korea-US-Japan foreign ministers' meeting in June 2018.

On the 9th, Asahi Shimbun reported, "Foreign Minister Hayashi boarded a flight to South Korea from Haneda Airport this morning." Before departure, Hayashi met with reporters and said, "In order to restore Korea-Japan relations to a healthy state, I plan to communicate closely with the new Korean administration based on Japan's consistent position."

Attending the inauguration ceremony as a special envoy of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Foreign Minister Hayashi will stay in South Korea for two days starting today. He is scheduled to hold talks with Park Jin, the nominee for South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the same day and is coordinating a separate meeting with President-elect Yoon on the 10th.

First, a meeting between the foreign ministers of Korea and Japan is expected to take place on the day before the inauguration. Kyodo News reported, "Hayashi is coordinating to hold talks with Park Jin, the nominee for Minister of Foreign Affairs, this evening."

The talks are expected to include an exchange of views on historical issues such as compensation for victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period. The Japanese government has maintained the position that issues related to forced laborers and Japanese military comfort women were all resolved by the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Agreement and the 2015 Korea-Japan Comfort Women Agreement, and has demanded that the Korean side propose solutions.

After the inauguration on the 10th, Hayashi plans to have a separate meeting with President-elect Yoon and deliver a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Kishida. This letter is interpreted as a response to the letter from President-elect Yoon that the Korea-Japan Policy Consultation Delegation dispatched by Yoon delivered to Prime Minister Kishida on the 26th of last month.

Hayashi is also reported to be coordinating meetings with key figures of the new administration. NHK stated, "Since President-elect Yoon has shown enthusiasm for improving Korea-Japan relations, which have deteriorated to the worst level since the postwar period, Hayashi is expressing expectations for the new administration while confirming cooperation on responses to Ukraine and North Korea issues, aiming to use this as an opportunity to improve relations."

Regarding the dispatch of Hayashi as a special envoy, Prime Minister Kishida told reporters at the Prime Minister's Official Residence today, "There are difficult issues between Korea and Japan, but we cannot leave them as they are," according to Kyodo News. He added, "We will respond based on Japan's consistent position while fundamentally keeping promises between countries."

In addition to Foreign Minister Hayashi, Nukaga Fukushiro, chairman of the Japan-Korea Parliamentary League and Japan's partner in the Korea-Japan Parliamentary League, will attend the inauguration ceremony. Chairman Nukaga informed Prime Minister Kishida that he plans to meet with President-elect Yoon on the 11th, the day after the inauguration.

Meanwhile, among Japanese people, opinions are divided on whether they expect improvement in Korea-Japan relations. According to a public opinion poll conducted by the local private broadcaster network JNN from the 7th to 8th among 2,462 Japanese aged 18 and over, 44% responded "expect" and 46% responded "do not expect" to the question, "Will the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration lead to an improvement in Korea-Japan relations?"

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