hankyoreh

By Jeong Nam-ku, Tokyo correspondent and Park Min-hee, Beijing correspondent 　

Foreign ministers from South Korea, China and Japan are using the 67th UN General Assembly in New York as a stage to make their claims on the disputed islands of Dokdo and Senkaku/Diaoyu. Three foreign Ministers, including South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly on the rule of law, to be held on Sept. 24 before the 67th session of the General Assembly begins the following day.

At the meeting, Korea and China joined voices in criticizing Japan’s interpretations of history, while Japan emphasized that territorial disputes should be solved through international law.

At the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the Rule of Law, Foreign Minister Kim said in his remarks that the rule of law should not be used to advance political agendas, which was taken as indirect criticism of Japan’s latest actions. He added, “The rule of law should not be used as an instrument of powerful nations to coerce weak nations as shown in the history”. This was the first high-level meeting hosted by the UN on the rule of law. 70 countries were represented by high-level diplomats.

Minister Kim and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi also held a separate meeting. According to the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT), the two ministers “agreed that for cooperation to be pursued in a future-oriented manner, countries concerned should have an accurate understanding of history.” The term “correct understanding of history” apparently refers to Japan’s attitude toward the compensation of the comfort women, women forced to serve as sex slaves for the Japanese military and territorial claims based on its past regional invasions.

Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba spoke earlier at the meeting on the Rule of Law and emphasized the importance of settling territorial disputes through international law mechanisms such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Genba said that there are still many countries that will not accept the ICJ having jurisdiction, stressing the fact that Korea has not responded to having the Dokdo issue referred to the ICJ. Genba also appeared to be addressing China concerning their dispute over the Senkaku islands by saying “it is important that international laws are followed earnestly.” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will address the UN General Assembly this week and is expected to make similar remarks.

Meanwhile, Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai visited Beijing on Sept. 2 for what looked like an attempt to set up high-level diplomatic talks between Japan and China. While there, he met with his Chinese counterpart, Zhang Zhijun. Jiji Press reported that at the meeting Vice Minister Zhang asked that ‘Japan go back to the common understanding realized by past leaders’ and that it ‘should abandon illusions and not take incorrect actions without self-reflection.’

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