Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary "Maintaining the G7 Framework Is Very Important" Official Statement... Caution on South Korea's Participation
Yoo Myung-hee, Head of Trade Negotiations, Shows Unease Over WTO Director-General Candidacy
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The conflict between South Korea and Japan over Yoo Myung-hee, the head of trade negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy who is running for the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), is expanding into an international front. While the South Korean government has officially declared active support, Japan appears to be unofficially but effectively campaigning against her election. Japan shows clear discomfort following South Korea’s invitation to the Group of Seven (G7) and ahead of the WTO Director-General election.
According to the government on the 30th, the WTO will close candidate registration for the Director-General position on the 8th of next month and begin the formal election process to select the new Director-General. After candidates deliver their policy speeches in Geneva, Switzerland, a two-month preference survey will be conducted among the 164 member countries, eliminating candidates round by round. Once a final candidate is selected, they will be unanimously appointed as the new Director-General with a four-year term (renewable once). So far, Nigeria, Egypt, Mexico, and Moldova have nominated candidates.
The South Korean government has officially expressed strong support. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated that Yoo Myung-hee is recognized for her sufficient qualifications and capabilities as the next WTO Director-General, based on 25 years of experience and expertise in trade. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed active support. The ministry has historically conducted various election support activities depending on strategic importance when South Korea runs for international organization elections. A Foreign Ministry official said, “For the WTO Director-General election, we will actively support the campaign centered on our overseas missions in WTO member countries and the Geneva mission where the WTO Secretariat is located.”
In response, diplomatic circles predict that the Japanese government is highly likely to express active opposition. Japan has already officially opposed U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to expand the G7 to G11 by including countries such as South Korea. This is interpreted as a strategic move considering the decision-making structure requires unanimous consent from all member countries.
Earlier, Kyodo News reported on the 28th, citing U.S.-Japan diplomatic sources, that “Japan conveyed its opposition to the U.S. regarding President Trump’s proposal to expand the G7 to G11 by including South Korea, Russia, and others.” This is the first time the Japanese government has officially opposed South Korea’s participation in the G7. Kyodo News also reported that Japan highlighted the difference in its stance toward North Korea and China compared to G7 member countries. On the 29th, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated at a regular briefing that “it is very important to maintain the G7 framework,” expressing the official position.
The background to Japan’s discomfort with South Korea’s WTO Director-General candidate centers on Japan’s unilateral export restrictions that have continued since last year. In response to the South Korean Supreme Court’s ruling on compensation for forced labor during Japanese colonial rule, Japan unilaterally imposed export restrictions on South Korea in July last year. In November, on the premise of dialogue to find a solution, the South Korean government suspended WTO dispute settlement procedures against the export restrictions. However, since Japan did not clarify its position on lifting the export restrictions until May this year, South Korea declared the resumption of WTO complaint procedures on the 2nd. A diplomatic source explained, “With the trade dispute ongoing, it appears that a candidate from one of the disputing countries is running for WTO Director-General, which inevitably creates discomfort for the Japanese government.”
There is also analysis that Japan’s obstinacy reflects its apprehension about South Korea’s rising international status. Japan has long enjoyed the status of being the only Asian country among the G7 nations, but currently, there are no Japanese nationals heading any of the 15 UN-affiliated international organizations. In contrast, China holds leadership positions in four international organizations, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and South Korea’s status has also been elevated through its leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, the South Korean government has led multilateral meetings related to the response and has received support requests from various countries.
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