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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Noda to visit South Korea Oct 18-19

Politics Oct. 07, 2011 - 07:15AM JST ( 9 )

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9 Comments

1

HikozaemonOct. 07, 2011 - 12:15PM JST

It's funny that NHK coverage of this didn't even mention Takeshima in the topics for the talks, or the comfort women lawsuit. The talks will be on "economic cooperation and joint approaches to North Korea".

Japan has a legitimate claim on Takeshima, and South Korea should be glad that Japan does nothing more than sustain its claim in word over the illegally occupied islands. They have the islands and Japan does nothing about it other than refusing to give up its own claim, that it has perfectly reasonable grounds to maintain is legitimate. I hope they don't waste the opportunities for cooperation in this meeting over a stupid, and pointless territorial dispute, that Koreans already have the upper hand on.

As for the sex slave thing, the stance, legally speaking is very straightforward. Japan paid compensation, and distribution of that compensation is an issue for the ROK government, not Japan. The lawsuit was another ass-backwards idea of Roh's administration, turning to Japan bashing to revive his flagging popularity, which now puts the GNP in a position that is difficult to back down on.

It's not in Korea's national interest to turn this into an adverserial meeting. They have Dokdo, and Japan's support on economic matters, and coordination on DPRK matters is important. President Lee seems like a pragmatic guy, so let's hope they don't get hijacked by nationalist agendas on either side.

Peace
-1

just-a-guyOct. 07, 2011 - 02:38PM JST

I am sure the polls and popularity of Mr Noda will fall after this trip!
0

YuriOtaniOct. 07, 2011 - 10:37PM JST

Hikozaemon, I could not have said it any better. That was very well written and I agree 100%.
-1

issa1Oct. 07, 2011 - 10:59PM JST

What will they complain this time? I get very angry when I see these politicians of the Democratic Party did not defend interests of Japan, the problem of the island of Takeshima is only one among many issues to be resolved.Japan urgently needs to rethink the way relate to the neighbors,not want to be sarcastic but how to maintain a healthy friendship with someone who thinks""" what's yours is mine, what's mine is not yours"""?
0

issa1Oct. 07, 2011 - 11:50PM JST

Koizumi-san, Abe-san please come back!!!
0

YuriOtaniOct. 08, 2011 - 04:24AM JST

President Lee needs to be reelected and thus will be insulting. Suppose he will go int nationalist pap and the comfort women and the rocks. He wants to show the Korean people he can stand up to the new evil Japanese PM. Bashing Japan means more votes, this might as well be considered a reelection event for Lee. If I was PM would not bother to meet Lee. Would make him come to me and maybe I would see him.
1

issa1Oct. 08, 2011 - 04:55AM JST

I agree with you YuriOtani.your very intelligent comment !
0

ScroteOct. 08, 2011 - 10:25AM JST

issa1: If Koizumi were back in charge there would be no meeting with the South Koreans due to his worship of war criminals. Koizumi was a hopeless failure as a leader: he failed to privatise the post office, he failed to reduce the deficit, he introduced laws that led to the creation of a huge number of poorly-paid, temporary workers, he antagonised neighbouring countries with his arrogant attitude. Bring back Koizumi? No thanks.

As for Abe: what an utterly useless PM he was. Did he achieve anything at all? Being a flag-waving, black-van supporting nationalist nutcase doesn't make a person a suitable PM.
-2

FugacisOct. 10, 2011 - 01:04AM JST

Japan deserves as much bashing as it gets from South Korea if Noda fails to enter into serious discussion on the sex slaves war crime. The issue was NOT solved in 1965, and even if it was, the frequent denials or minimisations of it by Japanese politicians, amd the whitewashing of it in the textbooks, have opened the wound again and again and again. Japan's evaded its wartime responsibility for long enough. It was getting better under Naoto Kan, but Noda is clearly of the old "it was in the past so who cares?" mold.