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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe voiced his “dismay” over the recent controversy regarding the planned raising of the Rising Sun Flag at the International Fleet Review in Jeju and a visit to the Dokdo islets by members of the South Korean National Assembly. The message was Abe’s first statement of a position on the matters.

“Although we have had several opportunities to confirm that we are seeking to cooperate toward establishing a future-oriented Japan-South Korean relationship based on this year marking the 20th anniversary of the Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration [A New Japan-Korean Partnership towards the Twenty-First Century], it is dismaying that we have had the issue with the raising of our naval ensign at the Fleet Review, the Takeshima (Dokdo) visit by South Korean National Assembly members, and various other things that have run counter to this [future-oriented South Korea-Japan relationship],” Abe said at an Oct. 29 regular session of the Japanese House of Representatives.

Abe’s remarks came in response to a question from Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) senior deputy secretary-general and special advisor Tomomi Inada. Famously leaning even harder right than Abe, Inada posed her questions with phrasing that appeared to denounce the South Korean government’s request for Japan to refrain from raising the Rising Sun Flag at the Jeju review and the Dokdo visit by South Korean National Assembly members.

In one question, Inada noted, “The South Korean Supreme Court is issuing a ruling on the issue of conscripted workers [a term used in Japan to refer to victims of labor conscription], and there are strong concerns that the content will be in opposition to the treaty establishing basic relations between South Korea and Japan.”

“This is contrary to the definition by international law,” she protested.

While he did not directly address the issue of forced labor ruling in his response, Abe’s use of the term “dismaying” in his response to Inada’s questions could be seen as also directed at the ruling, which did not favor Japan.

Abe went on to say that Tokyo would “continue responding appropriately to the unfortunate issues between Japan and South Korea and work toward building a future-oriented Japan-South Korean relationship.”

“I very much look forward to an appropriate response from the South Korean government,” he added.

By Cho Ki-weon, Tokyo correspondent

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

Caption: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe