New South Korean President’s “Conquering Japan” Words Reveal His True Intentions for Japan-South Korea Relations

The old anti-Japanese incitement alone is not enough to cope with the enormous changes in the international community. We must not be anti-Japanese or anti-Japanese, but “conquer Japan.

So declares Yun Sok-yeol, 61, of the opposition No. 1 party, the People’s Power, which won the March 9 presidential election in South Korea. He will be inaugurated as the new president on May 10.

During the election campaign, Yun was known as a pro-Japanese candidate, as he campaigned for the improvement of Japan-Korea relations. Writer Kim Hyang-cheong, an expert on South Korean politics, offers his opinion.

He is a man who rose to the position of Prosecutor General at an unprecedented speed of 25 years after his appointment. He was instrumental in the investigation of the back taxes of the Park Geun-hye (70) administration in 2004 and the bribery of former President Lee Myung-bak (80) in 2006. Because of his stance in confronting power, he was called the ‘People’s Prosecutor’ during his time as a prosecutor, and he was well supported.

On the other hand, in his private life, he also shows a folksy side.

President Yun is famous for his love of baseball. When he was in elementary school, he used to bring a glove to school every day. Although he was not able to join the baseball club because of studying for the entrance examinations, his love of baseball is alive and well, and even after becoming a presidential candidate, he has been seen enjoying watching games.

He is a big fan of the “Doosan Bears,” based in Seoul, where he was born and raised, but he also came to support the “Lotte Giants” and “Samsung Lions” when he was transferred to a new post during his time as a prosecutor.

He also loves to drink. President Yun has failed the bar exam eight times, but it is rumored that this was because he was too busy drinking to study for the exam. He is also known as an animal lover and lives with his four dogs and three cats. When his dog was involved in a traffic accident, he performed 17 surgeries over the past four years to save his life. He often uploads photos of his pets on social media even during his election campaign, and he loves them very much,” Kim said.

Currently, relations between Japan and South Korea are so cold that they are said to be the worst in the postwar period. The Japan-Korea trade dispute began in 1919, triggered by an order from South Korea in 2006 to compensate Japan Steel Corp. over the issue of consignee labor. Japan has restricted the export of semiconductor materials to South Korea, and economic activities between the two countries have been stagnant. Other issues, such as the comfort women issue and territorial disputes, are also piling up. How will the emergence of a new leader affect Japan? Journalist Toshihiro Yamada, an expert on international politics, explains.

President Moon Jae-in (69) has thoroughly avoided dialogue with Japan. On the other hand, the new president, Yun, is showing signs of compromise, saying that he will ‘comprehensively resolve historical and economic issues with Japan’ and expressing a desire to revive shuttle diplomacy, in which heads of state and government visit each other. Japan-Korea relations are expected to thaw.

However, there are some causes for concern. First of all, there is the “twisted parliament” that will last until 2012. Currently, approximately 60% of the South Korean parliament is made up of innovative members, making it difficult for conservative President Yun’s wishes to be carried out. In addition, President Yun’s own lack of political experience is also a concern. He was elected president only eight months after entering politics in July 2009, and his political skills are unknown. His political base is also still fragile. I think it will take time for him to actually get rid of his many problems.

Yamada, on the other hand, is hopeful that diplomatic issues with China and North Korea may be resolved.

Until now, successive South Korean administrations have been extremely pro-China and pro-North Korea,” Yamada said. However, the new South Korean president, Yun, has stated that he will “strengthen the security of the United States, Japan, and South Korea,” and has declared the introduction of the THAAD missile defense system, which China has vehemently opposed. This is to emphasize the three countries’ aligned stance against China and North Korea. We believe this will lead to progress on North Korea’s missile launches and the abduction issue.”

The first summit meeting between the leaders of Japan, the United States, and South Korea is also planned for May immediately after the inauguration. We look forward to the success of the popular leader.

From the April 1-8, 2022 issue of FRIDAY