Japan’s Korea Policy Likely to Change

By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter Relations between Korea and Japan will likely undergo a change following a victory of Japan's progressive opposition Democratic Party (DP) in national elections. "The DP has put emphasis on Asia and relations with China and Korea," Prof. Yun Duk-min at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security in Seoul told The Korea Times. "Besides, it has taken a progressive stance toward past history. I think this is very encouraging and will improve bilateral ties." DP leader Yukio Hatoyama has pledged not to visit the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where Class-A war criminals are enshrined along with the war dead. Former prime ministers, including Junichiro Koizumi, visited Yasukuni on New Year's Day and other national holidays, which triggered a backlash from Korea and China. Besides, Hatoyama promised to abide by a statement issued by former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in which he apologized for Japan's colonial rule and wartime aggression. "Of course, I will respect the Murayama statement if I take over the government," he told reporters in early August in Tokyo. Japan is also expected to soften its stance on North Korea and try to improve the relations with the secretive state. Prof. Yun said that the DP will likely take both measures of pressure and dialogue unlike the LDP's hard-line stance toward the Stalinist state. "Seoul-Pyongyang relations and Washington-Pyongyang relations are thawing. So, I think there is a possibility that Japan's new government could approach North Korea," he predicted. On the North Korean nuclear issue, Lee Myon-woo, senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute near Seoul, said a wait-and-see approach was necessary. "The nuclear issue is not a matter only for South Korea and Japan. South Korea is also taking a wait-and-see approach, so Japan should not hurry," he said. "Besides, North Korea may not give up its nuclear ambitions so easily. So, this is not going to be an attractive issue for the party to focus on," he added. The biggest problem facing Japan is its ailing domestic economy, Lee said. The researcher is cautious in predicting how Japan will change Korea policies, because next year's election to pick members of the House of Councilors is important to the party's future direction. "The DP could manage national affairs in a stable way if it wins more than a majority in the election," he said. "I think Hatoyama may determine the party's platform after that race." But the two experts agreed that Japan's position on the Dokdo islets will remain unchanged. Japan has claimed sovereignty over the islets in the East Sea, which has angered South Koreans. ksy@koreatimes.co.kr