"South Korea as a Sidekick... The Real Deal is Japan" Japanese Media Dismisses Yoon-Biden Achievements

President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden visited the Korea Air and Space Operations Center (KAOC) at Osan Air Base on the afternoon of the 22nd, wearing bright expressions.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A Japanese media outlet disparaged South Korea's achievements by comparing the outcomes of the summit meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden held separately in South Korea and Japan.

On the 27th, Yukan Fuji, a Japanese anti-communist right-wing media, published an article titled "The Difference in National Dignity Seen Through President Biden's Korea-Japan Tour" by Murotani Katsumi, claiming that "there was not just a qualitative difference but a huge gap on an entirely different level."

Yukan Fuji is a media outlet that uses a far more provocative far-right tone than the conservative right-leaning Sankei Shimbun. Murotani is a former Seoul correspondent for Jiji Press and the author of numerous anti-Korean books such as "Theory of Evil," "Theory of Collapse," and "Korea's Self-Destruction."

The media claimed that the main discussion partner of President Biden during the summit meetings was not President Yoon Suk-yeol but Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

The outlet evaluated that "the core of the dialogue at the U.S.-South Korea summit remained at a vague level of 'the U.S. and South Korea should get along well.'" It added, "In other words, South Korea was merely a 'supporting actor' in the conversation," and "It is clear that South Korea is wavering, conscious of China's gaze."

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are holding talks at the State Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, on the morning of the 23rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

It then emphasized, "Japan was different." The reason cited was that the summit with Japan addressed not only bilateral issues but also major global agenda items, especially concerning China.

The media stated, "While the place where President Biden heard welcome news such as Hyundai Motor's investment plans in the U.S. was South Korea, the place where the launch of the new U.S.-led economic initiative, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), was declared was Japan." It also claimed that the possibility of military intervention for Taiwan's defense was mentioned in Japan.

The fact that President Biden visited South Korea before Japan, which domestic media highlighted, was also criticized. The outlet wrote, "Korean citizens, accustomed to patriotic and anti-Japanese biased reporting by Korean media, naively rejoiced, seeing the U.S. president's visit to South Korea before Japan as 'proof that Korea has surpassed Japan.'"

It continued, "Many Korean media reported that measures related to a permanent currency swap were agreed upon at the U.S.-South Korea summit and that the path would open for South Korea's participation in the 'Quad' working group of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India," but "a senior U.S. official had already stated that South Korea would not be invited to the Quad working group." It also pointed out that the joint U.S.-South Korea statement did not include any mention of a currency swap."

The media also claimed, "South Korea's only hope was the speculation that President Biden would advise Japan to improve relations with South Korea," but added, "No such remarks appear in the joint press conference transcript after the U.S.-Japan summit," and "Not even the name 'South Korea' is mentioned."

However, it added that South Korea was mentioned only once in Prime Minister Kishida's remarks regarding North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, sarcastically stating, "This is a humiliation for South Korea."