Jin Jeong-seok: "Significant Changes in Korea-Japan Relations Since the Yoon Administration Began"

"Visiting Japan on the 27th to Attend Abe's State Funeral"

Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, emphasized President Yoon Seok-yeol's determination to restore Korea-Japan relations, stating, "Since the Yoon Seok-yeol administration took office, significant changes have occurred in Korea-Japan relations." Jeong will visit Japan on the 27th to attend the state funeral of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo along with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

At the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd, Chairman Jeong stated, "This is the first Korea-Japan summit in 2 years and 9 months since the meeting between President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in December 2019."

He said, "There is a favorable breeze in bilateral relations, including attendance at the inauguration ceremony of Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, resumption of the Gimpo-Haneda route, and quarantine exemptions upon entry to Japan," adding, "Visa exemption measures are expected to be restored soon."

Chairman Jeong said, "Although there remain highly volatile contentious issues between the two countries, especially at times like these, we must put aside disagreements and conflicts and adopt a 'mutual respect for differences' attitude that prioritizes common interests," and added, "We will continue efforts to carry on President Yoon's will to promptly restore Korea-Japan relations to the level of the Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi partnership, which was the best in history."

Floor Leader Joo Ho-young criticized the opposition, saying, "The Democratic Party is recklessly issuing irresponsible populist policies such as raising the basic pension and increasing childbirth allowances," and added, "They even show determination to push these bills through during the regular session. The pension system should be comprehensively integrated across all related pensions to structure the overall system properly; reckless actions are irresponsible."

He continued, "During the past five years in power, they did not implement any pension reforms, but now that the National Assembly's Pension Special Committee is operating to comprehensively revise pensions, they are opportunistically advocating for raising the basic pension," and said, "Having a majority in the National Assembly and recklessly issuing irresponsible bills just to gain votes should be restrained."

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