Ambassador Toshinori Shigeie’s Talk on Current Issues in South Korea-Japan Relations

On February 12, 2010, the East Asia Institute (EAI) hosted Toshinori Shigeie, Ambassador of Japan to South Korea, for a private discussion on current issues in the bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan. This meeting brought together prominent South Korean experts to discuss an array of issues focusing on bilateral cooperation. Ambassador Shigeie expressed his positive views toward this bilateral relationship and its future prospects. Both Seoul and Tokyo have showed an increasing level of cooperation in recent years, particularly in 1) promoting a bilateral free trade agreement, 2) establishing an East Asian Community, 3) globalizing the scope of bilateral relations, 4) curbing North Korea’s nuclear ambition, and 5) broadening cultural exchange. The following is a summary of his talk on the topic of current issues in the bilateral ties.

Presentation by Ambassador Toshinori Shigeie

The year 2009 marked a new era in Japan-South Korea relations as the Hatoyama government of Japan and the Lee Myung-bak administration of South Korea explicitly expressed their strategic interests in strengthening bilateral cooperation. This year will be another great opportunity for both governments to further increase collaboration at the working level on many critical issues through various channels including the trilateral summit meeting among leaders from China, Japan, and South Korea, as well as summit meetings of the G-20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Despite the current challenges facing the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) both in domestic and international affairs, the governments of Japan and South Korea are actively seeking to further strengthen bilateral relations to address common challenges in the 21st century. Some of the most critical areas for bilateral cooperation are discussed in detail below.

Ministerial Visit to South Korea

As indicated by the ministerial visits to South Korea by Former Prime Minister Taro Aso and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, the two countries have made significant progress in taking this bilateral relationship to the next level. The government-sponsored public opinion polls conducted in Japan also confirmed this fact – approximately sixty percent of respondents held positive views toward South Korea, which was six percent higher than the previous year. Similarly, public opinion polls conducted by the daily newspapers Dong-a Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo in South Korea also indicate that nearly seventy percent of South Koreans would welcome a visit by the Japanese Emperor to South Korea. As the maintaining of good personal relationships between leaders is pivotal in defining bilateral relations and discussing relevant issues, the increased personal exchanges between the leaders of Japan and South Korea in 2009 should be viewed in a positive light. In this regard, President Lee Myung-bak’s expected visit to Japan this year will further consolidate bilateral relations in 2010.

Strengthening Economic Cooperation

The promotion of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Japan and South Korea can be another area for building economic cooperation between these two neighboring countries. Although the EPA received a great deal of attention from both governments through various forms of consultation, it has not yet reached the phase of actual negotiations. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada pointed out the importance of the resumption of EPA negotiations in that a free trade agreement between Tokyo and Seoul will develop the bilateral relationship to a more future-oriented partnership. It is time for both countries to move forward and make a commitment for closer economic cooperation.

Promoting Regional Cooperation

Since the inauguration of the Hatoyama government in September 2009, a strong emphasis has been placed on engaging with East Asian countries in the region, which include China, Mongolia, Russia, and South Korea. As reflected in the idea of an East Asian Community, closer regional cooperation in diverse areas will yield mutual benefits for all countries involved. In this regard, trilateral cooperation among Japan, South Korea, and China is indispensible in realizing the rise of a regional community in East Asia. The Fukuoka Summit and Beijing Summit were remarkable opportunities to share the common vision for regional stability and prosperity. Likewise, the East Asia region is ready to take on more progressive steps toward a regional community by arranging informal and flexible meetings to discuss regional issues besides summit meetings. China, Japan, and South Korea should look beyond the interests of the three in addressing a broader range of challenges facing East Asia in the 21st century. Maintaining a close bilateral relationship between Japan and South Korea is an important step toward regional cooperation among East Asian countries that share common interests and visions.

Globalizing Japan-South Korea Relations

Japan and South Korea emerged as influential actors in an international community where the national interests of different countries are increasingly connected in promoting global peace and prosperity. These two countries have been closely working together in providing developmental assistance to developing countries in Asia. Japan is hoping to increase its share of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to address new developmental challenges in the developing world, which in turn contributes to strengthening global collaboration in the increasingly interconnected community of states. In this regard, Japan and South Korea have already been involved in various collaborative development projects such as joint agricultural assistance to Cambodia and the provision of job training and agricultural assistance to Afghanistan. In addition, the two governments are discussing another collaborative project in Pakistan. The rebuilding of Afghanistan has also been under consultation between Foreign Minister Okada and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reflecting their common interests and goals at the broader level...(Continued)

Ambassador Toshinori Shigeie is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni-potentiary, Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea and formerly Director of Middle East and Africa. He was born in Higashihiroshima in Hiroshima, Japan, and graduated from Hitotsubashi University in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He started his first career at Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Moderator

Sook-Jong Lee (East Asia Institute)

Discussants

Hanjin Bae (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

Chaesung Chun (Seoul National University)

Young-Sun Ha (Seoul National University)

Kee-Seok Kim (Kangwon National University)

Sangjoon Kim (Yonsei University)

Hirotaka Matsuo (Embassy of Japan in South Korea)