Kang Chang-il, Chairman of the Korea-Japan Parliamentary Union, Says "Japan's Entry Ban Is a Diplomatic Outrage"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Kang Chang-il, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and chairman of the Korea-Japan Parliamentary League, protested Japan's entry restrictions on Koreans, calling it a "diplomatic outrage that drags a neighboring country into domestic politics." The league, composed of lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties, serves as a key parliamentary diplomatic channel with Japan.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 6th, Kang issued a statement as the league chairman, saying, "The Japanese government is exploiting anti-Korean sentiment to carry out so-called 'Korea-bashing' in order to overcome internal difficulties," and criticized, "Prime Minister Abe has repeatedly mentioned the Republic of Korea whenever facing political crises to overcome them."

He added, "The Japanese government is facing many difficulties due to its failure to respond to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Recently, concerns have even arisen that the Tokyo Olympics may need to be postponed," and urged, "Please remember that Japan's COVID-19 response has been widely criticized worldwide."

He continued, "Our country has made the best efforts to help Japan overcome COVID-19 by providing information on the development and capabilities of COVID-19 diagnostic reagents and techniques," and pointed out, "Turning that into a 14-day quarantine guideline for entrants from Korea is like repaying kindness with enmity."

He further stated, "This entry restriction measure will undoubtedly be a self-inflicted blow that negatively affects not only Korea-Japan relations but also the Japanese economy," and added, "Prime Minister Abe should not be preoccupied with political goals of internal unity by creating external enemies but should work for the benefit of his own citizens."

The Japanese government previously announced de facto 'entry ban' measures, including a 14-day quarantine at designated facilities for entrants from Korea and a ban on visa-free entry, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.