Intensifying China-Japan Tensions... A Test of Korea's Role

President Lee Departs for Japan... Summit with Prime Minister Takaichi Scheduled Today
Japan in a Hurry, Korea Taking Its Time... Attention on Whether "Historical Issues" Will Be Included in Joint Press Announcement

On January 13, President Lee Jaemyung departed for Japan and visited Nara, the hometown of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, for a summit meeting. This is a consecutive round of summit diplomacy, coming just one week after returning from a state visit to China. Amid rapidly changing circumstances in Northeast Asia, including deteriorating China-Japan relations, this summit is expected to serve as a diplomatic test for Korea’s role in the region. There is particular interest in whether economic cooperation topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), supply chains, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as well as historical issues like the Josei coal mine, will be discussed for the first time at the negotiation table.

Yonhap News Agency

At approximately 9:15 a.m. on the 13th, President Lee boarded Air Force One at Seoul Airport. At the departure ceremony, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Hojoong, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hunsik, Democratic Party leader Jung Chungrae, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina, Matsuo Hirotaka, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Korea, and the Commander of the 15th Special Missions Wing of the Air Force were present to see him off. President Lee wore a black coat with a burgundy tie, while First Lady Kim Hye-kyung wore a black coat and a white blouse.

After arriving at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, President Lee will travel to Nara for a one-on-one summit and an expanded meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi, followed by a joint press announcement. The summit will continue with a private conversation and a dinner. On the morning of the 14th, the two leaders will jointly visit Horyuji, a representative cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture. President Lee will also hold a meeting with Korean residents in the Kansai region, including Osaka, before concluding his two-day, one-night visit to Japan and returning home.

This summit is expected to bring both “practical topics” and “sensitive issues” to the table. The Office of the President announced that a broad range of cooperation topics directly affecting people’s livelihoods would be discussed, including future-oriented cooperation on intellectual property (IP) protection, AI, supply chains, responses to transnational crimes such as scams, social issues, and human exchanges.

In addition, Wi Sung-rak, Chief of the National Security Office, identified “strengthening humanitarian cooperation” as a key goal regarding historical issues such as the Josei (Chosun people) coal mine. The Josei coal mine is an undersea mine where, during the Pacific War, more than 130 Korean laborers were forcibly conscripted, and in 1942, a mine collapse resulted in the drowning of over 180 people, including Japanese workers.

The very fact that the summit is being held in Nara, Prime Minister Takaichi’s hometown rather than in Tokyo, is being described as an “exceptional omotenashi (extraordinary hospitality).” Nara is an ancient capital of Japan and Takaichi’s birthplace; she has served ten consecutive terms since being elected as an independent in the 1993 general election. Prime Minister Takaichi traveled to Nara a day ahead of the summit on January 12. Japanese media also noted that it is extremely rare for a prime minister to move to the summit venue a day in advance.

It is also noteworthy that President Lee is continuing the “shuttle diplomacy” agreed upon with Prime Minister Takaichi, following former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Wi Sung-rak described this as “strengthening the bond and trust between the two leaders through shuttle diplomacy.” Over the two-day visit, the two leaders are expected to hold a total of five conversations.

There is also interest in whether historical issues will be formally brought to the table. Rather than tackling the highly sensitive issues of Japanese military “comfort women,” forced labor, or the Sado mine, President Lee appears to be working to create an atmosphere for full-fledged discussions on historical issues with Japan by starting with the excavation of Korean remains at the Josei coal mine, an area with more potential for bilateral cooperation. Until now, President Lee has maintained that while a correct understanding of history is a prerequisite for summit discussions, historical issues should not hinder future cooperation, and he has expressed a cautious approach without rushing.

Yonhap News Agency

However, with China-Japan relations worsening due to China’s restrictions on rare earth exports to Japan, the volatile situation in Northeast Asia is both a cause for concern and a potential variable affecting the outcome of the summit. The Japanese government has continuously emphasized the importance of Korea-Japan relations and trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan, publicly expressing its expectation for “frank dialogue.”

Especially as tensions between China and Japan escalate, there are predictions that Korea may be pressured to choose sides. Thus, it will be crucial to observe how President Lee, while maintaining a “pragmatic” stance, manages differences over regional security issues such as the Korean Peninsula peace and coexistence process and the Taiwan Strait. In an exclusive interview with NHK released on the 12th, President Lee stated, “It is extremely important for Korea and Japan to share values and aspirations amid the complex situation in Northeast Asia.”

Regarding the ban on imports of marine products from Fukushima, Japan, President Lee said it is a problem that must be resolved in the long term for Korea’s accession to the CPTPP. The CPTPP is a multilateral free trade agreement (FTA) launched in 2018 by countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, Canada, and Australia, with a total of 12 member countries. Korea is also seeking to join. President Lee stated, “In the current situation, it will be difficult in the short term, as we must address the emotional and trust issues of the Korean people.”

On the last day of his visit to Japan, the 14th, President Lee will meet Prime Minister Takaichi again at Horyuji. Prime Minister Takaichi is expected to highlight the history of Korea-Japan exchanges prior to historical disputes by visiting Horyuji together, the world’s oldest wooden structure, which was influenced by Baekje architectural techniques.