Spats threaten Tokyo's Seoul efforts

Historical issues, trade disputes hang over meeting between Kishida, Yoon

Historical issues and other disputes overshadowed Tokyo's efforts to woo Seoul, as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aims to resume so-called shuttle diplomacy with South Korea after a four-country Africa trip and a stop in Singapore.

The shuttle diplomacy, which involves regular meetings between leaders of the two countries, has not been seen since 2011 because of frozen bilateral ties due to spats related to history and trade.

On Thursday, rallies and protests were held in several South Korean cities to denounce Kishida's upcoming visit to Seoul, which is scheduled from Sunday to Monday.

The main opposition Democratic Party and other representatives of civic groups said the protests will continue on Sunday and Monday, with protesters voicing discontent on several issues, including Japan's distortion of history, forced labor exploitation and "comfort women" during World War II, its planned release of nuclear-polluted water into the sea and building up its military strengths.

Seoul and Tokyo have been embroiled in a bitter trade dispute since 2019, stemming from a spat over forced labor during World War II.

Economic hit

The economic tit-for-tat measures saw South Korean tech firms such as Samsung scrambling to find alternative suppliers, while Japan's economy took a hit from Seoul's boycott of Japanese products.

However, a thaw emerged last year when South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's conservative administration took office. Yoon had made proactive efforts to resolve the thorny issue of compensation for forced wartime labor.

Seoul restored Tokyo to its "white list" of trusted trade partners last week, with Japan expected to reciprocate soon. Following Yoon's visit to Japan in March, Tokyo lifted export controls on materials needed for South Korean semiconductors, while Seoul dropped a complaint to the World Trade Organization against Japan.

According to South Korea's presidential office, Yoon and Kishida are set to hold a summit on Sunday to discuss issues such as national security, advanced industries and cultural exchanges. They will then hold a joint news conference and have a casual dinner together with their spouses.

The shuttle diplomacy also comes at a time when Kishida is seeking closer ties with countries ahead of a Group of Seven summit, which he will host later this month.

During a visit to Mozambique's capital Maputo on Thursday, Kishida said Japan would act as an intermediary between the G7 advanced nations and developing countries. He attributed the high food and energy prices suffered by the Global South to Russia.

Meanwhile, Kishida aimed veiled barbs at Beijing as he tried to present a hypothetical situation in which China is "going to" change the status quo by force.

"There are attempts to divide the world," Kishida said, without specifying who was making those attempts.

Wang Qi, a researcher of East Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said it is in fact Japan trying to divide the Asian community and the world.

"For some time now, Japan has hyped the so-called China threat," Wang said.

"The escalation in its rhetoric about China is there for all to see and hear, from 'worry' to 'serious concern' and 'grave concern' to 'the biggest strategic challenge'. So, it is hard to believe that Japan wants cooperation instead of confrontation."