"We Are Ready to Talk with Japan Anytime"

[경향신문]

On March 1, President Moon Jae-in said, “Our government is prepared to sit down and talk with the Japanese government anytime,” and added, “If we try to stand in each other’s shoes and put our heads together, we will be able to wisely solve our issues concerning the past.” The president repeatedly sent a message proposing dialogue to Japan as the two countries fail to end the deadlock in bilateral relations due to the issue of compensation for victims of forced labor and sexual slavery in the Japanese military. This day, President Moon attended a ceremony commemorating the 102nd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement at Tapgol Park in Seoul and in his speech said, “The only obstacle that we need to overcome is the fact that sometimes we fail to separate issues of the past with issues of the future and by mixing them up end up hindering future progress.”

The president said, “There was an unfortunate chapter in the history between Korea and Japan, and we cannot forget that history. The offender may forget, but the victim never can.” He also said, “Now, a century later, the two countries have become very important neighbors to each other.” He seemed to have considered the fact that the newly inaugurated Joe Biden administration in the U.S. values the trilateral cooperation of South Korea, the United States and Japan and that cooperation from Japan is vital to restart a process for peace on the Korean Peninsula. However, this day, the president did not make any new suggestions on how to improve relations with Japan. Since the president is nearing the end of his term and there are challenges in seeking a chance to melt Japan’s indifferent attitude, the president seems to have put the emphasis on managing the current situation.

President Moon stressed, “We cannot remain chained to the past. We need to put more effort on future-oriented development while resolving issues of the past.” He also said, “The South Korean government will always seek a wise solution with a victim-centered approach and will do our utmost to restore the honor and dignity of the victims.” He added, “We will not stop our efforts for the cooperation and future development of the two countries (South Korea, Japan).” He reaffirmed the “two-track” approach, separately seeking a resolution of past issues and practical cooperation.

At the same time, the president said, “The Tokyo Olympics this year can be an opportunity for talks between South Korea and Japan, between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the U.S.” and stated that South Korea would cooperate for a successful Tokyo Olympics.

The president urged North Korea to take part in the Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative for Infectious Disease Control and Public Health, an initiative led by South Korea in December 2020. President Moon said, “We hope North Korea will cooperate and interact with countries in this region starting with its participation in the Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative for Infectious Disease Control and Public Health to protect the lives and safety of its people,” and added, “It will pave the way for co-prosperity and peace on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia.”