▲At the G7 summit, President Moon Jae-in (fourth from the right) is surrounded by leaders of various countries, while Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (far left) is seen isolated from the group. [Source = Screenshot from Twitter account '@grafico_kenzo']
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] As the Group of Seven (G7) summit successfully concluded, Japanese media and netizens have pointed out that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's reserved nature made his presence on the international stage barely noticeable.
In contrast, South Korean President Moon Jae-in was seen close to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the host and chair of the summit, and was surrounded by other participating leaders, sparking debates among Japanese netizens comparing this to Prime Minister Suga.
According to Japanese online communities and social networking services (SNS) on the 15th, a Japanese-speaking Twitter user '@toubennbenn' posted a video on June 11 local time in the UK showing G7 leaders posing for a commemorative photo, commenting, "Suga, who has an international sense of isolation without exchanging a single word with anyone."
The video captures Prime Minister Suga and other G7 leaders, including US President Joe Biden, entering the stage set up on the beach in Cornwall, UK, for the commemorative photo shoot, and their movements until they finish and leave.
In the video, Prime Minister Suga is not seen conversing with other leaders.
This contrasts with other leaders who are exchanging conversations.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen talking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while President Biden is captured with his arm around French President Emmanuel Macron, engaging in conversation. Nearby, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is seen listening attentively and moving along with them.
@toubennbenn wrote, "Is Suga practicing isolationism? Perhaps due to COVID-19 as well."
Another Twitter user, @grafico_kenzo, posted a photo showing G7 summit participants, including President Moon, gathered with bright expressions, while Prime Minister Suga is standing alone in the back, marking Suga and Moon with arrows and commenting, "The difference in communication skills."
Another netizen pointed out, "The scene of the G7. The difference in communication ability."
Japanese media have raised similar questions.
On the 15th, Mainichi Shimbun evaluated, "For Prime Minister Suga, attending an in-person international conference for the first time, demonstrating presence remains a challenge."
The newspaper also introduced a foreign news photo showing Prime Minister Suga standing alone at a distance, looking dejected while other foreign leaders chatted during a reception.
On June 13 local time, during a press conference with accompanying Japanese reporters, Prime Minister Suga described his personality, saying, "I am generally awkward at making friends warmly from the start," adding, "Since everyone shares the same purpose, I was able to speak comfortably."
Meanwhile, it is reported that Prime Minister Suga and President Moon met face-to-face for the first time at the G7 summit. At the Cornwall hotel in the UK where the G7 summit was held, President Moon happened to meet Prime Minister Suga and greeted him first, saying, "I am pleased to meet you."
Subsequently, Prime Minister Suga expressed the position that the Korean side should propose solutions regarding issues such as forced labor and comfort women.
President Moon wrote on Twitter, "The first face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Suga was a precious time that could have been a new beginning in Korea-Japan relations, but I regret that it did not lead to a summit."
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