S. Korea Envoy Urges Japan to Reaffirm History Recognition

Jiji Press

15:28 JST, August 4, 2024

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Japan should reaffirm its recognition of history in a proposed joint declaration with South Korea next year, outgoing South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

Yun reiterated hopes that Japanese and South Korean leaders will announce such a declaration in 2025 to mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties.

He has led efforts to improve ties with Japan since taking office in July 2022 under the administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. Japan and South Korea have stabilized relations, said Yun, who will be succeeded by Park Cheol-hee, head of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.

A political decision by the Yoon administration helped the two countries resolve a dispute over World War II-era Korean laborers who worked for Japanese companies, Yun said, urging Japan to support the South Korean effort to improve ties by acting on the issue of history recognition.

Yun also expressed hopes that Japanese and South Korean leaders will visit each other’s country as a state guest next year.

Some Japanese officials are cautious about such a new declaration. But Yun said the two countries need to create a new momentum by issuing a new declaration. The new declaration should include measures to make people in both countries feel the benefits of improved ties, such as simplifying immigration procedures, Yun said.

He said it is very important for Japan to uphold the past administrations’ history recognition. Referring to the 1998 Japan-South Korea joint declaration in which Japan offered a remorse and apology over its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, Yun said Japan should do what it did at the time.

Yun said that if former U.S. President Donald Trump returns to the White House, North Korea is expected to hold talks with Washington to win international recognition as a nuclear weapons state.

Japan, the United States and South Korea should work together to make it clear that sanctions on North Korea will not be lifted unless denuclearization is achieved, he said.

Japan and South Korea should cooperate to ensure that the United States is firmly committed to the region, Yun said, apparently referring to concerns about a possible reduction in U.S. troops in South Korea.

Yun said North Korea could suddenly invite Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Pyongyang without preconditions for a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Japan, the United States and South Korea should coordinate their policies on North Korea, Yun said, stressing that any Japan-North Korea summit should not undermine denuclearization efforts as well as regional peace and stability.