ID :
106131
Thu, 02/11/2010 - 21:27
Auther :

Japan, S. Korea affirm cooperation in historically sensitive year

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SEOUL, Feb. 11 Kyodo -
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and his South Korean counterpart Yu
Myung Hwan agreed in Seoul on Thursday to enhance what they call
''future-oriented'' bilateral relations in a historically sensitive year that
marks a century since Japan's annexation of the Korean Peninsula in 1910.
''The people of South Korea were deprived of their country and their ethnic
pride was deeply hurt...We must never forget the feelings of the victims,''
Okada told a joint press conference with Yu after their talks, during which
they also agreed to cooperate in dealing with North Korea, Afghan assistance
and global challenges.
The remarks suggest that Okada felt the need to express Japan's view on its
past colonial rule to promote bilateral friendship. Expectations have been
growing in South Korea that Japan will take a more positive attitude on issues
related to history.
On the issue of granting local suffrage to permanent foreign residents in
Japan, many of whom are of Korean descent, South Korean Foreign Affairs and
Trade Minister Yu reiterated his hope that Japan would move toward that end,
but Okada only said the government is currently ''considering'' the matter.
Okada's visit to South Korea is his first since becoming foreign minister in
the wake of a historic change of government in Japan in September.
While the two ministers apparently played up their close ties during the press
conference, concerns remain that anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea could
easily be stirred this year over historical and other controversial issues.
''Without turning our eyes away from the negative past history, we would like
to look ahead and reinforce our truly future-oriented friendly ties,'' Okada
told the joint press conference.
The current Japanese government led by the Democratic Party of Japan upholds a
1995 statement by then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama that expressed remorse
and offered an apology for Japan's wartime colonial rule and aggression, Okada
said.
Okada also agreed with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak in a separate
meeting later in the day that the two countries should ''overcome'' what Okada
called a ''sensitive year,'' a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
Lee was quoted as telling him that this is an ''important year'' and that he
hopes that both nations ''can create a good opportunity to move toward the
future,'' according to Japanese and South Korean officials.
Okada's visit also comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activities for the
resumption of the stalled six-party denuclearization talks. On Tuesday, North
Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kye Gwan arrived in Beijing and U.N.
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's special envoy began a four-day visit to North
Korea.
Okada and Yu reaffirmed the close cooperation between the two countries to
swiftly bring North Korea back to the multilateral talks that also involve
China, Russia and the United States.
The two also agreed that denuclearization steps by North Korea should come
before talks on a peace treaty with the United States or the lifting of
sanctions as proposed by Pyongyang, according to Okada.
In April last year, North Korea declared its withdrawal from the six-party
talks. It added to the tension by conducting a second nuclear test in May,
leading to increased U.N. sanctions against the country.
In the series of meetings Okada attended, the two countries agreed to cooperate
in assisting the reconstruction of the war-torn Afghanistan, in addressing
global challenges such as climate change and nuclear disarmament, and in
expanding cultural exchanges.
Okada told Lee he is wondering whether Japan can cooperate with South Korea in
connection with the provincial reconstruction team of the International
Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, according to the Japanese official.
On the economic front, the two countries agreed on the importance of concluding
a free trade accord and that they should continue to try to resume the stalled
negotiations.
The two countries launched talks for an economic partnership agreement in 2003
but they soon hit a snag due to such issues as a reduction in tariffs. In 2004,
they broke off the negotiations.
As for the local suffrage issue, South Korea has high expectations that Japan
will respond to Seoul's calls to allow permanent residents of Korean descent in
Japan to vote in local elections as Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has shown a
positive stance on the issue.
But Shizuka Kamei, who heads the People's New Party, a tiny coalition partner
of the DPJ, has expressed opposition to the idea, saying that doing so could
incite nationalism during elections and that those hoping to vote should be
naturalized.
People of Korean descent comprise about half of all permanent foreign residents
in the country, mostly because many Koreans were forcibly brought to Japan as
laborers when the Korean Peninsula was under its colonial rule from 1910 to
1945.
On the possibility of Japanese Emperor Akihito visiting South Korea by the end
of this year, Okada told the press conference he would ''carefully consider''
the matter based on various factors. Lee had earlier expressed his hope for
such a visit.
Okada also visited a Korean language institute to meet Japanese students
studying Korean and asked questions about their life in South Korea.
==Kyodo
2010-02-11 21:12:54


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