[앵커]
The leaders of South Korea and Japan will meet for the first time at the NATO summit, which will open on the 29th.
A public-private organization to find a solution to the issue of forced mobilization, which is a key issue between the two countries, is also scheduled to be launched soon.
Correspondent Lee Kyung-ah from Tokyo reports.
[기자]
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida made a congratulatory phone call to then-elect Yoon Seok-yeol two days after the presidential election in March.
After the first call, the Prime Minister, who met the reporters with a bright face, expressed his expectations.
[기시다 후미오 / 일본 총리 (지난 3월 11일) : 가능한 빨리 대면으로 만나고 싶다고, 대화하고 싶다고 서로 얘기했습니다. 저도 말했고 윤 당선인도 그랬습니다.]
Prior to the inauguration of the new government, the Korea-Japan policy consultative group came to Japan to meet with key figures such as Prime Minister Kishida, and communication between the two countries began in earnest.
After attending the inauguration ceremony, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi delivered a letter from the prime minister directly to the president.
As the cold atmosphere slowly dissipated, the hardliners within the LDP began raising their voices again, taking issue with the maritime survey around Dokdo.
He said that high-level talks should not be held unless South Korea provides a concrete solution to issues such as forced mobilization.
In the end, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin’s visit to Japan, which was planned for this month, has been postponed until next month’s election of the House of Representatives.
The Korea-Japan summit was also considered at the NATO summit, which will start on the 29th, but it seems that it will be at the level of a simple conversation.
The Japanese government is keeping an eye on how the public-private organization, which is expected to be launched in South Korea this month, will gather opinions on resolving the issue of forced mobilization.
[마쓰노 히로카즈 / 일본 관방장관 (지난 21일) : 한국 국내 움직임 하나하나에 입장을 밝히는 것은 삼가겠습니다. 어쨌든 양국 관계를 건전한 관계로 되돌리기 위해 일본의 일관된 입장에 근거해 한국 측과 긴밀히 의사소통을 해 나갈 것입니다.]
President Yun Seok-yeol is showing his will to improve relations, saying that ‘the history of Korea and Japan will be resolved amicably’, but Japan is still cautious.
In a recent opinion poll, more than 80% of the people said, “We should not make further concessions on historical issues to improve relations between Korea and Japan.”
There are voices calling for sufficient discussion and speed control as the understanding of the people is essential to unravel the tangled relationship between the two countries.
This is Kyungah Lee from YTN in Tokyo.
YTN Kyungah Lee (kalee@ytn.co.kr)
※ ‘Your report becomes news’
[카카오톡] Search YTN to add a channel
[전화] 02-398-8585
[메일] social@ytn.co.kr
[저작권자(c) YTN 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
