Evaluation of “a person with clear historical awareness, a friend and enemy, however, the resistance of hard-liners within the Liberal Democratic Party is a variable, Efforts to institutionalize and stabilize security cooperation”,
Reuters Joint News,
, ‘When Yoshihide Suga, who is evaluated as a moderate faction, becomes the next prime minister of Japan, domestic Japan experts saw it as an opportunity to resolve the longstanding conflict between Korea and Japan, known as the “historical issues.” However, experts feared the resistance of hard-line conservatives within Suga’s newly appointed Liberal Democratic Party due to his weak internal support base. Experts advised that a sophisticated diplomatic strategy is needed to address historical issues as well as to continue security and economic cooperation.’,
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, ‘Former Ambassador to Japan, Kang Chang-il said in a phone call on the 29th, “When I worked as an ambassador to Japan, I had several meals with Suga, and he is a person who is friendly and has a clear understanding of the past.” He commented, “If the Yoon Suk-yeol government handles the historical issues confidently, there is much to gain.” Former Ambassador Shin Gak-su who served as a deputy foreign minister also explained, “Suga is a person who has the perception that he should know his past mistakes.” He said, “There is much more opportunity to find the key to resolving historical issues between Korea and Japan.”‘,
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, ‘Suga, classified as a dove in terms of historical awareness between Korea and Japan, has shown reluctance towards controversial visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Class-A war criminals from the Pacific War are enshrined. In August 2019, when the decision was made to terminate the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between Korea and Japan, he wrote on his blog, “There must be many people in Japan and Korea who wish to return to the good relationship of the era of Prime Minister Obuchi Keizō and President Kim Dae-jung”.’
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, ‘The support from the “Kishida faction,” led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has a positive aspect. Suga is expected to continue the policy of Prime Minister Kishida, who focused on improving relations between Korea and Japan. The former ambassador forecasted, “Suga is likely to think about inheriting and carrying on the policy of Prime Minister Kishida due to the support from Kishida.”
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, ‘However, the opposition from hard-line conservatives within the Liberal Democratic Party is a key variable. Researcher Choi Eun-mi at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies predicted, “Suga will find it difficult to move the party solely based on his weak internal support base.” Lee Ki-tae, director of the International Strategy Research Office at the Unification Research Institute, also expected, “There will definitely be resistance from hard-line conservatives.”‘,
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, ‘Advice has been given that a strategic approach is needed to gather public opinion domestically and strengthen cooperation with Japan in response to the voice of hard-line conservatives in Japan opposing the resolution of historical issues. Researcher Choi said, “There is a need to create a foundation in Korea to allow Suga to translate his positive thoughts about Korea into action.”
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, ‘Former Ambassador Kang said, “If the Yoon Suk-yeol government plans well, it is possible to resolve historical issues and enhance cooperation in areas like economy.” And the director stated, “Efforts should be made to institutionalize and solidify cooperation, especially in security.”‘,
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, ‘It was also suggested that next year’s 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan should be used as an opportunity to further strengthen the development of both countries. Former Ambassador Shin advised, “Although the current Korea-Japan relationship feels good, there are no concrete results.” He said, “Next year’s 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization could be a good momentum for concrete cooperation between the two countries.” There is also mention of utilizing the characteristics of Suga, classified as a “policy-oriented” leader, to enhance policy cooperation between Korea and Japan.’,
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, ‘Researcher Choi stated, “Suga may propose policies that address issues of great interest, such as railways and regional cooperation, through Korea-Japan cooperation.” \n’]