Japanese Sankei: "Phone Talk with Prime Minister Suga, Korea Applied the Earliest but Was Pushed Back"

Japanese Government Reportedly Deliberately Delayed Order
Suga Prime Minister's Intent Also Influenced...Foreseeing Diplomatic Distancing with Korea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Sankei Shimbun of Japan reported that the Japanese government deliberately postponed South Korea's proposal for a phone talk with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. It is analyzed that this was likely influenced by both the Japanese government and Prime Minister Suga's intentions. Sankei stated that while Prime Minister Suga regards South Korea as an important neighbor, he continues to maintain a diplomatic distance on bilateral issues such as the forced labor problem during the Japanese colonial period.

On the 28th, Sankei reported that South Korea was the first country to propose a phone talk with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, but the Japanese government intentionally delayed South Korea's turn. Citing an anonymous senior Japanese government official, Sankei revealed, "South Korea was the first to request a phone talk, but it was postponed."

Sankei also reported that Prime Minister Suga's own intentions played a role in postponing the phone talk with President Moon. According to Sankei, Suga held a phone talk with President Moon on the 24th of last month, eight days after his inauguration, but before that, he had phone talks with seven others including U.S. President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Although Prime Minister Suga has emphasized South Korea as an important neighboring country, Sankei analyzed that he still intends to maintain diplomatic distance. In his first policy speech to the National Diet on the 26th of this month, Suga stressed the importance of Japan-South Korea relations, stating, "South Korea is a very important neighboring country. To return to a sound relationship, we will strongly demand appropriate responses based on our country's consistent position." Although he emphasized the importance of South Korea immediately after the announcement, this was interpreted as urging South Korea to propose solutions to the forced labor issue during the Japanese colonial period, signaling a diplomatic distancing.

Since his inauguration, Prime Minister Suga has held phone talks with 17 heads of state and international organization representatives, which Sankei reported is more than the 10 people former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke with by phone within about a month after his return to power in December 2012.