President-elect Yoon Likely to Dispatch 'China-Japan Special Envoys' After Inauguration Next Month

Published 13 Apr.2022 10:34(KST)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] As President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol reaffirmed the importance of the Korea-US alliance through the dispatch of the Korea-US Policy Consultation Delegation, it is known that the timing for dispatching special envoys to China and Japan has been set for after his inauguration.

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is expressing his gratitude to the citizens who came out to welcome him during his visit to Dongseong-ro, Daegu, on the afternoon of the 12th. Photo by the Transition Team Press Corps

President-elect Yoon plans to discuss specific plans and follow-up measures to elevate the comprehensive Korea-US strategic alliance, including diplomacy, defense, and economic security, together with the nominee for Minister of Foreign Affairs after naming the candidate on the 13th, before embarking on diplomacy with China and Japan.

President-elect Yoon is scheduled to announce the nominee for Minister of Foreign Affairs at 2 p.m. on the same day, with Park Jin, a member of the People Power Party and former head of the Korea-US Policy Consultation Delegation, reportedly the leading candidate.

According to diplomatic sources on the 13th, President-elect Yoon is expected to dispatch a Korea-China Policy Consultation Delegation after his official inauguration on the 10th of next month to hold a summit with President Xi Jinping, and to discuss Korea-China issues such as economic cooperation and North Korea-related matters. Initially, the dispatch of the delegation was considered during his status as president-elect before inauguration.

However, the situation has changed. Since President-elect Yoon expressed a positive stance on cooperation with the Quad working group to counter China and the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) through the dispatch of the Korea-US Policy Consultation Delegation, relations with China have become somewhat strained, necessitating careful review of China policy.

In China, there is speculation that once President-elect Yoon takes office in May, Korea-US relations may become closer, putting the maintenance of relations with China to the test.

However, since President-elect Yoon has expressed his willingness to develop Korea-China relations after inauguration, even if the dispatch of the delegation is after the inauguration, it is analyzed that it will not significantly affect Korea-China relations.

On April 25, President-elect Yoon conveyed during a phone call with President Xi that he hopes to work together with President Xi to advance Korea-China relations in the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation.

In response, President Xi said, “Since Korea and China are close neighbors who cannot move away from each other, let us work together to promote stable and long-term development of bilateral relations to benefit both countries and their peoples.”

The dispatch of a special envoy delegation to Japan is also expected to be reviewed after inauguration, as positions on historical issues need to be settled.

President-elect Yoon had considered dispatching a Korea-Japan Policy Consultation Delegation around his inauguration on May 10 but reportedly decided to postpone it until after inauguration.

Regarding this, Asahi Shimbun recently reported, citing multiple sources familiar with Korea-Japan relations, that President-elect Yoon conveyed his intention to send a policy consultation delegation composed of lawmakers, diplomats, and Japan experts to Tokyo.

The specific schedule has not yet been decided as time is needed to prepare the list of members and refine the policy direction toward Japan. However, Asahi predicted, “It is likely to be after May 10, when President-elect Yoon assumes office.”

Through the dispatch of the Japanese delegation, President-elect Yoon is expected to comprehensively address the need to improve Korea-Japan relations emphasized since his candidacy, including resolving issues such as comfort women and forced labor, as well as current issues like semiconductor export regulations and the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).

The problem remains that the two governments still hold parallel positions regarding compensation for comfort women and forced labor victims. Japan strongly opposes South Korean court rulings ordering compensation from the Japanese government and companies, arguing that these rulings violate the 1965 Korea-Japan Basic Treaty and the 2015 comfort women agreement.

On the other hand, South Korea maintains respect for judicial independence and cannot ignore the fundamental apology and resolution desired by the victims and public sentiment.

Earlier, the transition committee stated in a recent written briefing regarding President-elect Yoon’s policy toward Japan, “President-elect Yoon has hoped for a developmental relationship between Korea and Japan since his candidacy, but has repeatedly emphasized that this requires a correct historical understanding and thorough reflection on the past.”