Choi Jae-sung: "Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Gained Everything Without Shedding a Drop of Sweat"

SBS Radio Interview Criticizes President Yoon's Japan Visit Achievements
"We Would Win 100% in Japan's Economic Retaliation Case"

Former Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Choi Jae-sung recently described the recent Korea-Japan summit as a "complete victory for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida," evaluating that "from Japan's perspective, they gained everything without breaking a sweat."

On the 21st, Choi appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and responded to the host's request to select the best player in politics this week by saying, "I shout this in anger: Prime Minister Kishida."

Regarding why he chose Prime Minister Kishida, he explained, "Kishida's approval rating is below 20-30%, lower than President Yoon Suk-yeol's. His power base is weak." He added, "However, after seeing the results of this summit, the people of the Republic of Korea were shocked, and naturally, if you look at public opinion polls, many say it was 'wrong.' On the other hand, over 65% of Japanese citizens say it was 'good.'" This analysis implies that the Korea-Japan summit's outcome will drive an increase in the Kishida cabinet's approval ratings.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands while posing for a commemorative photo before the expanded Korea-Japan summit held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo, Japan, on the afternoon of the 16th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He downplayed President Yoon Suk-yeol's diplomacy during his visit to Japan. Former Secretary Choi said, "A major blunder was made," and claimed, "Regarding the compensation issue, the standards we had, even the Supreme Court rulings, were unilaterally overturned by the president and handed over entirely to the other side."

Choi added, "From Japan's perspective, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was also just given away for free." He said, "Japan's economic retaliation and export restrictions violate international trade order, so if we had filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), we would have won 100%, but we decided not to." He continued, "What Japan gave was the lifting of restrictions on three semiconductor materials that are ineffective, while the removal from the whitelist remains."

He then argued that the Democratic Party should intensify its struggle. Choi said, "The president, as the head of the executive branch, has turned his back on the people and completely sided with Japan." He added, "In the late Joseon period or in the past, this would have been an issue to bow one's head over and fight with the resolve to starve to death." He continued, "When such things happen, we must oppose and assert ourselves beyond that, thinking of giving up all our parliamentary seats to stop this. We must fight with the resolve to die."

Regarding the presidential office's explanation that this visit to Japan was a "future-oriented decision for the normalization of Korea-Japan relations," Choi criticized, "Abstract talk is something anyone who has learned Hangul can say." He pointed out, "In issues between countries and diplomacy, there are parties involved, both sides. There is no discussion at all about how this benefits the national interest of the Republic of Korea or whether it is acceptable to improve Korea-Japan relations by giving everything away like this."