“Excessive Reliance on Personal Relationships Between Leaders Highlights Risks in Korea-Japan Relations”
Tokyo, Yonhap News – The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 10th that the Japanese government is contemplating its diplomatic direction toward South Korea as the impeachment situation persists in Korea.
The Japanese government maintains its basic stance of sustaining the momentum of improving Korea-Japan relations achieved with the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. However, as criticism of President Yoon’s diplomacy toward Japan grows within Korea, the Japanese media has indicated that it is becoming difficult to predict the future direction of Korea-Japan diplomacy.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated on the 9th, the day after the non-establishment of President Yoon’s impeachment vote in the Korean National Assembly, that he would “watch the situation with special and significant interest” and emphasized, “Korea is a precious neighboring country, and there will be no change in promoting close cooperation.”
This suggests a willingness to maintain the improved relations with South Korea despite the martial law declaration by President Yoon and the ensuing impeachment turmoil.
The Yomiuri noted that while the Japanese government refrains from direct commentary on President Yoon’s martial law declaration, which was the catalyst of the confusion, it seems considerate toward President Yoon, in contrast to the strong criticism from the U.S., which labeled it a “misjudgment.”
Kurt Campbell, the U.S. State Department’s second-in-command, remarked on December 4 (local time) that he believed President Yoon “badly misjudged” the situation, pointing out that memories of past experiences with martial law resonate deeply and negatively in Korea.
President Yoon was prohibited from leaving the country on allegations, including rebellion and abuse of power, leading to a temporary halt in Korea-Japan summit diplomacy.
The Yomiuri reported that while President Yoon and Prime Minister Ishiba had agreed to continue shuttle diplomacy by mutually visiting each other’s countries to mark the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations next year during Korea-Japan summits in October and November, President Yoon’s visit to Japan has become difficult.
A senior Japanese government official commented on Prime Minister Ishiba’s plan to visit Korea in January next year, saying, “The feasibility has almost disappeared.”
Furthermore, with the inclusion of “Japan-centric foreign policy” as one reason for the impeachment proposal by Korea’s opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, there are voices within the Japanese government expressing concern about getting entangled in internal Korean conflicts and suggesting a temporary pause in action, according to the Yomiuri.
The Nikkei reported that with President Yoon under investigation for charges of rebellion, chaos in governance, including diplomacy and defense, has reached its peak.
The Nikkei analyzed that with the Korean President holding broad powers, such as military command and treaty ratification, the unusual situation of the country’s top diplomat and defense leader being banned from leaving South Korea due to rebellion charges poses a risk of hampering responses to changes in the external environment.
The Asahi Shimbun editorial acknowledged President Yoon’s role in advancing Korea-Japan relations by prioritizing Japan but also highlighted the risks of overly relying on personal relationships between leaders.
The editorial urged proactive diplomacy, calling for efforts from the Japanese side to overcome political crises and continue developing Korea-Japan relations.