[News UP] "Ishiba Era" in Japan...What Is the Impact of Korea-Japan Relations?

■ Host: Anchor Yoon Jae-hee
■ Appearance: Yang Ki-ho, Professor of Japanese Studies at Sungkonghoe University

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN News UP] when quoting.

[Anchor]
Let's take a closer look at how the newly launched Japanese Ishiba Cabinet will affect Korea-Japan relations.

Let's talk with Yang Ki-ho, a professor of Japanese studies at Sungkonghoe University. Please come in.

[Both symbols]
Hello,

[Anchor]
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba officially took office yesterday. Looking at it, he's a 12-term lawmaker, but he's not a familiar person to us. Please introduce the person.

[Both symbols]
I think he's a typical Japanese hereditary politician. My father was a member of the upper house and also the current governor. After that, I graduated from Keio University and became a politician for about 38 years. After that, he was elected 12 times, so in that sense, he is a typical Japanese hereditary politician. But if that's a bit typical, the atypical is a bit of a Christian. Moreover, because he has been a Christian for four generations, he never visits Yasukuni shrine even in Japan. Then, the issue of colonial rule or Japanese Military Sexual Slavery should be apologized until the Korean people understand it. So, they are showing a forward-looking attitude of understanding the problem of past history. On the other hand, he is interested in defense issues and other areas, so he also served as the Minister of Defense, so he has a lot of knowledge in this area. In that respect, the Japanese side sees it as a considerable advantage. However, as to how to resolve Korea-Japan relations in the future, the party's foundation is weak now, so that remains unknown.

[Anchor]
I wonder how much the Japanese people expect for a new cabinet, but I heard you came back from Japan last night. How's the atmosphere in Japan?

[Both symbols]
I actually watched it live, and in the first round of voting for the Liberal Democratic Party president, Takaichi Sanae had 27 votes. So I was thinking that I would probably be elected in the second final, but seeing that, this is quite burdensome for Japanese experts. First of all, Takaichi Sanae declared that he would pay tribute to Yasukuni shrine even after becoming prime minister. In that sense, it was a burden because relations with Korea could be strained, and first of all, the slush fund scandal within the Liberal Democratic Party was not over, and Takai Chi Sanae is typically Abe faction, and even called Abe, so it seems that the Japanese were quite anxious about whether it would be possible to completely end the slush fund scandal that the Japanese people are concerned about or against. Fortunately, as a result of this, Ishiba became prime minister and it ended. In that sense, the Japanese people are also expecting it, but the party's foundation is still weak, and there is a little noise as soon as it is launched. In that respect, I think it's half expectation and half concern.

[Anchor]
Prime Minister Ishiba, however, seems to be speeding up as soon as he starts. He announced his plan to dissolve the House of Representatives and to hold an early general election, and I think he intends to ask for the trust of the people and take control of the parliament through this part. What do you think?

[Both symbols]
That's right. The party's foundation is weak now, so a landslide victory in the general election will strengthen the party's foundation. As a result, expectations are still high to win the general election. The approval rating for the Liberal Democratic Party increased by about 4%. And personally, 70% of people expect Prime Minister Ishiba. That's why they say it would be better to dissolve and hold a general election when they have expectations, but this is dishonest for the opposition party. This is because after forming the cabinet for at least a few months, it is dissolved at an appropriate time and a general election is held. The opposition parties are strongly opposed to the unprecedented general election as soon as they take office in order to create an overwhelmingly favorable situation for the Liberal Democratic Party.

[Anchor]
I'm very curious about how it will affect bilateral relations between Korea and Japan, but you said it beforehand.Ma is classified as a moderate in historical perception. He also mentioned that there is a need for an apology for the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery problem. How do you see this part?

[Both symbols]
On that point, I also think that in some ways, we are at a turning point where we can slightly change Abe's perception of history. So Prime Minister Abe, then Prime Minister Suga, and Prime Minister Kishida were quite moderate, but they couldn't play that role at all. In that respect, historical perception does not reflect on the past. Or, regarding Japanese Military Sexual Slavery and forced labor, there has been a significant historical distortion of the Japanese side, which is now a turning point, and in fact, Prime Minister Ishiba has dropped the prime minister five times while being treated coldly by the Abe faction. I was only elected in the fifth time. In that sense, since he is a Christian and has been making remarks on past history, the Korean government is now thinking about a second Kim Dae Jung-Obuchi joint declaration ahead of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan next year, and in that sense, there is some leadership that Japan can respond to. Or I'd like to look forward to it if you have a close relationship with your past perception.

[Anchor]
The professor said earlier that he had not visited Yasukuni shrine because he was a Christian shrine, but was it because of religious issues or historical awareness that he did not visit Yasukuni shrine?

[Both symbols]
I think there are both. So what Prime Minister Ishiba is saying now is that the biggest cause of worsening relations between Korea and Japan is Japan's colonial rule. For example, it is the name of the Chang family, which is at the root. So, as the conflict between Korea and Japan intensified in 2019, Japan regulated exports and we stopped GSOMIA, but hitting Korea was also wrong then. If we go back to the most fundamental cause of this, there is a historical process that greatly undermined the pride and dignity of Koreans, such as Japanese colonial rule or Chang's name, so Japan should apologize. He also said that we should apologize until Koreans understand it.

In that regard, Prime Minister Ishiba has certainly been able to recognize history as a new trend, not as a current of the Abe faction, which has changed away from the fact that there was no forced mobilization in 2015 among Japanese politicians.How these parts can be sustained within the party. Because at least in this area, the Abe faction's checks are already appearing. In that regard, I think we need to wait and see the situation a little more in the future.

[Anchor]
There seems to be no significant difference with Japan's right wing when it comes to Dokdo's sovereignty.

[Both symbols]
In the same case in 2011, there is a rumor that he had a territorial divorce and then met Ambassador Kwon at the time and protested loudly about it. However, in fact, it is hard to expect that Japan's politics and prime minister will change quickly on this Dokdo issue. In fact, it was during the Democratic Party of Japan that the territorial issue was strengthened. At the same time, if you look at Japan, there are Senkaku with China, Diaoyudao, defense territorial issues with Russia, and Dokdo issues in Japan, and the Japanese people's vigilance in territorial and territorial waters, and Japanese politicians' populism are being strengthened. So it is a little too much to think that Ishiba is forward-thinking on historical issues but also has considerable concessions on territorial issues. In that respect, it is not far beyond the scope of Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Party politics.

[Anchor]
Defense and security are classified as hawks. He also insisted on the creation of an Asian version of NATO and argued that the U.S. should share its nuclear weapons in Japan.

[Both symbols]
This is wrong for me and is impossible to do first of all. One is that you can think of the Asian version of NATO as easy as this. In Japan, the Self-Defense Forces are now supporting, nursing, or supplying ammunition when the U.S. troops fight in front of them. However, it should not be like that, and since Japan is a sovereign country, it should exercise its military capabilities as a sovereign country. In that sense, the basic position is that Japan should exercise the physical military power of the Self-Defense Forces as a sovereign country, such as the British or French forces operating jointly with the United States in Afghanistan or Iraq. But the problem is that the constitution must be revised if Japan wants to exercise it fairly through such collective self-defense rights. The constitution needs to be revised, but leadership cannot be exercised with the current level of factionalism, and moreover, in the New Komeito Party, it is not possible in Japan.

And the Asian version of NATO is that the United States basically needs to lead this. If you look at NATO and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, it's mostly the U.S. military command. It's not the French, it's not the British. In that sense, the U.S. military is overwhelmingly in command. In that sense, the U.S. should eventually lead this, but if you see the response from the U.S. government now, it's no. The U.S. position is that NATO is unique to Europe. And there are countries like South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia that Prime Minister Ishiba points out as partners, and in fact, the U.S. Forces Korea are for North Korea. It's not even our ability to check China or Russia and go to a line where Korea checks and presses or blocks China as the Korea-U.S. alliance itself spreads, and that unnecessarily stimulates China or Russia. In that sense, Korea has no choice but to be angry about this, and the Philippines and Australia seem to be pressuring China on the surface.

In reality, there is a lot of physical exchange and trade with China. In that sense, we are in a state of cooperation while checking. In that sense, this European-style Western civilization has Russia as its enemy, just like the current war in Ukraine. It is not very appropriate now to make such a NATO into an Asian version, and in fact, the reason why this is criticized in Japan is that it first needs to build trust with the United States, but it continues to unnecessarily send out issues that can cause conflict with the United States even before building trust. At the same time, there is a lot of opposition within the ruling party as to how the next prime minister can pursue these things while in conflict with the United States. In that respect, I don't think this issue is prudent. This part is that it is right to at least go low, restore trust relations with the United States, and then push the issue little by little after it is established, and there are a number of inappropriate parts in this regard. Or I'd like to tell you that it doesn't fit and doesn't work.

[Anchor]
In any case, it is expected that the Ishiba Cabinet will continue the Kishida line, which was far from Korea-Japan relations. What do you think? Do you think the keynote of Korea-Japan relations will be maintained stably in the future?

[Both symbols]
Basically, I think it will remain stable. At least, the Japanese government's apology for the past that the Korean people have felt so far is lacking. There is a part that can be filled with at least one's own remarks or stance so far. That is positive, and even if the US or Japan's regime changes for the time being, security cooperation between Korea, the US and Japan is likely to be promoted as it is. In that respect, Prime Minister Ishiba, who is specialized in defense issues and can communicate in various ways, is capable of stable relations between South Korea and the U.S. and Japan in general.

[Anchor]
I see.

I talked in detail with Yang Ki-ho, a professor of Japanese Studies at Sungkonghoe University. Thank you for talking with me today.