Intensive Deliberations at Budget Committee Meeting: Debate Security Issues in East Asia

Editorial

15:22 JST, December 6, 2024

Even though a full-fledged debate in the Diet had finally been realized following the launch of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the fact that both those asking and those responding to questions were only making superficial assertions left something to be desired.

Intensive deliberations were held at the Budget Committee meeting of the House of Representatives.

Yoshihiko Noda, president of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, questioned how the chaos over martial law declared in South Korea would impact Japan.

Ishiba said, “Efforts to improve relations between Japan and South Korea, which President Yoon Suk Yeol has been promoting, must not be undermined.”

The chaos involving martial law is a matter for South Korean internal politics and not yet at a stage where Japan can make any further comment. Even so, if the political situation in a neighboring country becomes unstable, it could impact not only Japan, but also the security framework in East Asia.

Since assuming the presidency in 2022, Yoon has steered South Korea toward improved relations with Japan by settling, to a certain extent, the issue of lawsuits over former wartime requisitioned workers from the Korean Peninsula, which has been a source of concern between the two countries.

Subsequently, defense cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea has also progressed. The establishment of a mechanism for the three countries to immediately share information on North Korea’s ballistic missile launches was largely due to political decisions by Yoon.

A situation where defense cooperation among the three countries becomes dysfunctional must be avoided if Yoon loses his post and an administration with anti-Japanese tendency is formed in South Korea.

Noda also asked Ishiba how he intends to build a relationship with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Ishiba only said that he would “unhesitatingly tell the U.S. side that Japan’s national interests and U.S. national interests are compatible.”

Noda and one other CDPJ lawmaker were the only ones to ask about Japan-South Korea and Japan-U.S. relations during the day’s questioning.

The international situation is changing drastically, and the role Japan should play also is being called into question. It is important for the government and the ruling and opposition parties to discuss foreign policies constructively based on this awareness at future Budget Committee meetings.

Meanwhile, regarding the issue of political funds, opposition parties including the CDPJ and the Japanese Communist Party called for a ban on donations from companies and organizations. But Ishiba only stressed, “The Liberal Democratic Party’s position is to increase the transparency of funds.”

One cannot help but have questions over how the ruling and opposition parties for the past year have treated the issue of politics and money as if it were the biggest issue in national politics. The issue needs to be settled in this Diet session.

At the Budget Committee meeting, the CDPJ called for the early enactment of legislation regarding a selective surname system for married couples. A lawmaker from the LDP suggested also allowing original family names to be used as legal surnames, while maintaining the system where married couples use the same surname. Ishiba indicated that he would pay attention to the discussions made by each party.

The selective surname system for married couples is an issue that will have a major impact on society and the nature of families. It should be discussed carefully.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 6, 2024)