President Moon's Strong Will to Normalize Korea-Japan Relations... Biden Will Not Be Japan-Biased

New Ambassador to Japan Kang Chang-il Holds Virtual Meeting... Evaluates Korea-Japan Relations as "Worst Since Diplomatic Ties Established" Due to Historical Issues
Emphasizes Political Solutions for Normalizing Korea-Japan Relations... "Past Mistakes Must Not Be Repeated"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Kang Chang-il, the newly appointed Ambassador to Japan, conveyed that President Moon Jae-in has a strong will to normalize the deteriorating Korea-Japan relations through a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. He also stated that Joe Biden, the President-elect of the United States who will mediate between the two countries, is not expected to be as Japan-biased as some concerns suggest.

At a press conference held via video on the 17th, Kang, who is scheduled to assume his post on the 22nd, said, "(President Moon) requested efforts to normalize Korea-Japan relations and strengthen the bilateral cooperation system, and said he would not hesitate to play any role necessary for the successful hosting of the Tokyo Olympics." He emphasized, "He expressed a very strong will to normalize Korea-Japan relations, saying he wants to have an honest conversation with Prime Minister Suga."

Recently, Korea-Japan relations have frozen again over historical issues as Korean courts ruled in favor of comfort women victims following forced labor victims during the Japanese colonial period. Additionally, Prime Minister Suga's effective refusal to accept the farewell greeting of Ambassador Nam Kwan-pyo has sparked diplomatic impropriety controversies. This contrasts with President Moon's meeting with Koji Tomita, the Japanese Ambassador to Korea who is moving to the U.S., on the 14th, where they expressed intentions to improve bilateral relations.

Ambassador Kang assessed, "Korea-Japan relations are at their worst since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1965," adding, "Although there have been many crises due to historical conflicts, cooperation in economic and security areas helped overcome them, but now the front has expanded from historical conflicts to security fields." Regarding Prime Minister Suga not meeting Ambassador Nam, he added, "I think it is a (diplomatic) impropriety. It was a farewell greeting, so it should have been accepted. I don't know if there were personal reasons. I don't know why they couldn't meet or why the greeting was not made."

He dismissed concerns about the negative impact of the Biden administration, which is expected to bring significant changes to the Northeast Asian diplomatic landscape, on Korea-Japan relations. Kang said, unlike the Donald Trump administration, it is unlikely to lean toward Japan, analyzing, "President-elect Biden is well aware of the comfort women issue. I don't think he will side with Japan." In particular, he noted, "Regarding the Korea-Japan General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), it was accepted hastily under strong U.S. insistence," adding, "The U.S. has established its East Asia strategy based on the Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation and values it highly, so I understand the U.S. will make tremendous efforts for reconciliation between Korea and Japan."

Furthermore, he emphasized that a political solution is necessary to normalize Korea-Japan relations and that past mistakes of expanding the front should not be repeated. This is interpreted as a remark considering the expansion of the forced labor compensation ruling to economic and security fields.

Regarding the solution to the forced labor compensation issue, Kang mentioned, "There are 12 solutions that I have identified," and stressed, "A few days ago, there was a Korean court ruling on the Japanese comfort women issue, and in responding to this, past mistakes should not be repeated. The law is the law, and it must be resolved politically."