Among Two Japanese House of Councillors Candidates, One Says "South Korea Should Make More Concessions in Japan-Korea Conflict"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyeon-jin] With the House of Councillors election scheduled to be held in Japan on the 10th, it has been revealed that one out of every two candidates holds the view that "South Korea should make more concessions" regarding Korea-Japan relations.

The Mainichi Shimbun published the results of a survey conducted on House of Councillors election candidates on the 5th, reporting that 52% of respondents reacted that "the South Korean government should make more concessions" on conflict issues such as forced mobilization and compensation for victims of Japanese military comfort women. In response to the same question, 27% said "both sides should make concessions," and 12% said "the Japanese government should make more concessions."

This survey was conducted on 545 candidates to understand their views on major policies, with a 96.5% response rate (526 people).

Most candidates from ruling parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), answered that South Korea should make more concessions. Among coalition ruling party Komeito candidates, 46% did not respond to this question. Candidates from minority parties in the Diet, such as the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, more frequently expressed the opinion that Japan should make concessions.

Regarding public diplomacy, the most common response at 42% was "China is a threat to Japan and should be dealt with more firmly." This was followed by "the current level of distance is appropriate" (31%) and "China is Japan's partner, and strengthening relations should be prioritized" (18%).

In a situation where Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities are emerging as security concerns for Japan, 52% responded that Japan's Constitution Article 9 should be revised, more than doubling compared to the public opinion survey during the 2019 House of Councillors election. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution stipulates the renunciation of war, and the non-recognition of the right to maintain military forces and engage in war. The LDP is advocating for a constitutional amendment that explicitly recognizes the existence of the Self-Defense Forces in this provision.

Regarding the economic policy "Abenomics," which has continued since the Shinzo Abe administration, 9 out of 10 respondents said that "modification or reconsideration is necessary."