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Obama brings Abe, Park together for talks

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Obama said this, Abe said that and Park just listened(?!) seems there was no meaningful breakthrough.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

This trilateral summit (it’s not engineered or anticipated as a breakthrough in the first place) may be severed as a good step towards building further trust on bilateral relationships between Japan and S.K.

For the next step, hopefully, Abe will keep his words and steer clear from his revisionist views. In addition, his close advisors won’t mess up the momentum by their big mouths.

0 ( +12 / -12 )

Korea and Japan do not have a common denominator to pursue mutual beneficial interest. Korea is leaning towards China; seeking to contain North Korea's behavior and a bigger share of China's consumer market. Japan and Korea should each go their own way.

9 ( +17 / -8 )

Increase the peace.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

This trilateral summit (it’s not engineered or anticipated as a breakthrough in the first place) may be severed as a good step towards building further trust on bilateral relationships between Japan and S.K.

Doubt it. It's essentially a show to save face for Obama. Pak is going to Germany next so I fully expect her 'bad mouthing Japan" world tour to continue.

For the next step, hopefully, Abe will keep his words and steer clear from his revisionist views. In addition, his close advisors won’t mess up the momentum by their big mouths.

Japanese public is in no mood to cater to Korean "mood swings" any more. This is what happens when you use the card too much where you lose respect from the most sympathetic population.

-4 ( +16 / -20 )

How about Madam Park in center for talk?

This is relatioship between S. Kpread and Japan. I am sure Madam Park and Mr Abe did not have meeting to listen to American history lessons. So, how about let Madam Park sits center and next to Abe? Who Obama meet in USA has nothing to do with this meeting,

th

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

"Japanese public is in no mood to cater to Korean "mood swings" any more."

The dispute was intensified by Japan's "swing" on the sex slave issue, as part of the government's further "swing" toward revisionism, including changes to its constitution. It's clear who's swinging and it's not S. Korea.

1 ( +13 / -12 )

To naysayers, nothing that is short of their desires would be worth the efforts. :)

It’s so easy to be negative or walk away from a difficult process that requires a lots of prudence and tolerance from two neighboring countries in order to repair the bruised ties between Japan and S.K.

The world is not perfect as we know it, sometimes, lesser of two evils principle could be the guidance to deal with relationships in geopolitics.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Nigelboy: it's not "bad-mouthing" when it's the truth, although admittedly its extremely embarrassing to Japan and the government and posters on here need to deflect to try and save face. The only "swings" going on here are coming from Abe and the wingers. sK has been Steadfast in standing against his failure to own up and acknowledge the past instead of white-washing it.

-3 ( +13 / -16 )

The dispute was intensified by Japan's "swing" on the sex slave issue, as part of the government's further "swing" toward revisionism, including changes to its constitution. It's clear who's swinging and it's not S. Korea.

Abe stated all along that he will honor the Kono statement from his first tenure to his Cabinet decision in May of 2013. The revision of the constitution is an internal matter. What's next? Yasukuni? Korean diplomats have visited Yasukuni as late as 2002 so if they are against it, chalk it up to another "mood swing"

1 ( +15 / -14 )

Korea and Japan do not have a common denominator to pursue mutual beneficial interest. Korea is leaning towards China; seeking to contain North Korea's behavior and a bigger share of China's consumer market. Japan and Korea should each go their own way.

@Tom Webb - That is a shrewd observation.

While relationship between Japan and SK took a nosedive in recent years, China has been building closer ties to SK, while loosening their old ties to NK. This was evident in China's reluctance to get behind NK since the King Jong Un era, and China building a memorial to Korean independence fighter Ahn where he gunned down Hirobumi.

Japan needs SK as a strategic partner to fend off China's advances, but recent moves by Abe has achieved the opposite, isolating themselves in east Asia. The only have Taiwan as the region's only real ally, and making inroads in SE Asia probably won't make up enough ground for the loss.

History will have the final say, but I have a feeling the Abe administration will go down as a backward step for Japan. Too much national pride has hurt Japan.

0 ( +13 / -13 )

Japan needs SK as a strategic partner to fend off China's advance

Negative. Japan, in no way shape or form, are counting on SK to do anything in regards to China other than to antagonize Japan. Betraying Qing, Japan, Russia, Japan, and yet to come U.S. all within 100 plus years.

-1 ( +13 / -14 )

Japan needs SK as a strategic partner to fend off China's advances

Perhaps, this one political cliche was invented in the USA. Anyway, it doesn't meet reality.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Nigelboy: it's not "bad-mouthing" when it's the truth, although admittedly its extremely embarrassing to Japan and the government and posters on here need to deflect to try and save face. The only "swings" going on here are coming from Abe and the wingers. sK has been Steadfast in standing against his failure to own up and acknowledge the past instead of white-washing it

Smith, please. Do you honestly believe that the other countries' bureaucrat officials ( other than China, of course) agreed to this ridiculous name calling antics when Abe had stated all along that he had an open door policy? Their reaction, obviously is "why don't you tell that to him directly?". While her antics may have appeased her domestic audience, South Korea cemented herself as a childish nation to others.

-2 ( +13 / -15 )

Though Abe, elected in 2012, has long sought a meeting with Park, his approaches have been “clumsy” in the context of the sensitivities surrounding Japan’s colonial history, said John Swenson-Wright of the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House.

English media repeats this "Abe wants to meet Pak" thing these days. But what is his agenda? What does he want to do by meeting Pak? Do the reporters of English media think he does not have any agenda but just wants to meet Pak, or that they do not need to report why Abe wants to meet Pak? They need critical thinking. By the way, Japanese media do not report that Abe wants to meet Pak.

JeffLeeMar. 26, 2014 - 09:16AM JST

The dispute was intensified by Japan's "swing" on the sex slave issue

I think it is just a reaction to the move by ultra nationalistic Koreans to build statues of Korean Sex Slaves everywhere in the world. Koreans are very good at making foreigners believe in very questionable claims such as Cheong Sin Dae were sex slaves or comfort women were drafted. Ultra nationalistic Koreans also want to push the "East Sea" movement by re-writing history that "East Sea" was used in English for more than 2000 years. They should know ultra nationalism will not pay.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

No wonder Abe san is keeping his big mouth shut these days!! Park should not meet him cause we all think he'll visit his favourite shrine soon after this.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

History will have the final say, but I have a feeling the Abe administration will go down as a backward step for Japan. Too much national pride has hurt Japan.>

To be fair, this was probably an inevitable development, and most likely not Abe's fault. This disdain for Japan did not emerge because of Abe. Its been around for decades, and it was only a matter of time before China tried to capitalize on it.

In any case, Park wasn't interested in making any progress. That was made abundantly clear when she and her overlord jointly decided to announce the opening of the An Jung-geun memorial during the summit.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Nigelboy: "Abe stated all along..."

He said he wanted to rescind the apology. That later became 'revise', and then at the behest of Obama it became "keep it as it is" (although some politicians are talking about a new, separate statement, hence yesterday's Suga statement). The only place "all along" exists is with SK's stance and is 100% justified, especially given the flip-flopping of Abe.

2 ( +14 / -12 )

He said he wanted to rescind the apology. That later became 'revise', and then at the behest of Obama it became "keep it as it is" (although some politicians are talking about a new, separate statement, hence yesterday's Suga statement). The only place "all along" exists is with SK's stance and is 100% justified, especially given the flip-flopping of Abe.

First tenure.

http://www.shugiin.go.jp/itdb_shitsumon.nsf/html/shitsumon/b166110.htm

Last year,

http://www.kiyomi.gr.jp/blogs/2013/05/24-943.html

-4 ( +10 / -14 )

Look at the faces in the picture, see who are smiling and see who is whimpering like a kid who was forced to eat their green peas.

President Park didn't want to be there and will not adhere to anything that comes out of the meeting.

Her side has an issue to press and can't do that by being civil or diplomatic. This row is about getting what she wants out of Japan and she can't do that by acting like a civilized leader.

Her sides argument and motives are based on touchy feely nonsense that have zero evidence to back it up.

If President Obama really listened he would see that South Korea is no longer an American ally. South Korea should be let go and allowed to go where it wants. Where it wants to be is next to Communist China.

Time to pull the US forces out of South Korea and let the chips fall where they may.

Seoul's new name will be Kim Il-sung City by the time this is all over.

JohnY921Mar. 26, 2014 - 10:06AM JST Obama, how would you like someone pressuring you into meeting with ex-slave owners and members of KKK, who justify, deny or downplay their wrongdoings of the past?

Like I stated before, this argument is based on touchy feely beliefs and not on cold hard facts.

The 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations was suppose to heal those old wounds and it did until South Korea wanted more money.

The goal here is to make Japan pay the compensation that South Korea agreed to pay and if Japan pays more that will still not be enough.

Blackmailers are greedy and always comeback for more. That's why Japan shouldn't pay another red cent to the South Korean blackmailers.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

Not only is Obama going around ruining his own countries relations with other nations (Syria, Russia, Israel, etc). Now He is trying to mess up relations among our allies.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Having a personal affection to both cultures and countries (Japan & Korea), I'm very happy they seem to cool down a little now. This whole past-relations issue is ridiculous and has to cease, like we managed to do it in Europe -- but either way, the past cannot be changed and this has to be accepted. This whole Dokdo/Takeshima thing is another issue, but as long as they manage to hold the status quo, it shouldn't be so significant. I just hope they keep it up and grow closer together. NK is going to collapse sooner or later, there is more than enough evidence of that, but the important question is how -- and of course, damage has to be minimized. There will be more than enough challenges even without NK trying to start a war or anything before finally expiring.

One major force is China, of course, now blocking UN research on the biggest tragedy in human history, which is still going on (and I'm very sure the next generation will read about this unbelievable cruelty in every history textbook and wonder why nothing ever happened), the NK slave labour and death camps that exist since the 1950s -- so Japan and Korea definitely have to work together on the human rights issue in particular, besides the overdominant nuclear weapons crisis.

This is me speaking as a deeply concerned private person, not as a neutral politics analysist.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

I'd say the recent souring of the Japan-Korea relation is entirely at the fault of Abe administration and the LDP.

When Ozawa left LDP to form with with DJP in 1993, a whole chunk of leftist and moderate-right politicians left LDP to join the DJP in hopes of shaking up the status quo. So now you only have the most hardcore rightists left in the LDP. That's why the Abe administration is so nationalist, and why Japan is leaning towards the right. Japan didn't just spontaneously become nationalist, it was because of the now hardcore right LDP.

It's obvious that under Ozawa and Hatoyama's DJP, Japan and Korea and also China's relations would have greatly improved. But America's policy against Japan since the end of the war is to not let Japan get closer to China, and that policy still continues to this day. That's why the US prefers the US-Korea-Japan trilateral relationship, excluding China, with the pretense of adding pressure to North Korea, when it's really about containing China, and now Russia.

-4 ( +9 / -13 )

Look at the faces in the picture, see who are smiling and see who is whimpering like a kid who was forced to eat their green peas.

@JoeBigs - Do you think a photograph that captured a split-second moment tells everything? What if the picture was taken 3.2 seconds later and captured a different facial expression on Park's face?

http://i2.media.daumcdn.net/svc/image/U03/news/201403/26/yonhap/20140326030707522.jpg

Will you change your opinion now? Or will you now say she forced to smile like a kid who's been promised a bike if she eats her peas?

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

It's obvious that under Ozawa and Hatoyama's DJP, Japan and Korea and also China's relations would have greatly improved

Thank god the Japanese voting public woke up to where Ozawa (Dirty) and Hatoyama (Loopy) are insignificant. Let's face it. Those morons got in because they bribed the voting public with child allowance and free toll.

-7 ( +11 / -18 )

The US prefers the US-Korea-Japan trilateral relationship, excluding China.

And that's a very silly foreign policy. You will see a full pack of negative consequences soon.

Now he is trying to mess up relations among our allies.

Well said. He is just a very bad politician, without any serious background. And his team. When Vic Nuland said "**ck the EU" in a tapped phone conversation, no further comments needed.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Thank god the Japanese voting public woke up to where Ozawa (Dirty) and Hatoyama (Loopy) are insignificant. Let's face it. Those morons got in because they bribed the voting public with child allowance and free toll.

There was no voting at all. The vast majority of the Japanese voted for the DJP.

Ozawa could not have become the PM because of his false prosecutions (he was found completely innocent, yet the media still persisted that he must be "guilty") that were entirely made up by the Japanese bureaucrats and the media. Hatoyama was forced to resign, all because he wanted to do the right thing and move the bases outside of Okinawa, at least, but of course the US can't have that. So what kind of a "patriot" or "nationalist" like Abe leaves the US bases in Okinawa? I thought he loved Japan?

0 ( +8 / -8 )

Where did she "bash" Ms. Park? She simply stated why not have them sit together... No need to resorting to insulting the language abilities of other people over a non-argument.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Mitch CohenMar. 26, 2014 - 11:12AM JST @JoeBigs - Do you think a photograph that captured a split-second moment tells everything? What if the picture was taken 3.2 seconds later and captured a different facial expression on Park's face?

President Park didn't want to be there, she had to be there.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-24768298

She was outmaneuvered by Abe and his Kono gambit. She bit hard and had to sit down with him in the same room.

Opening http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26394850

and closing move http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/24/us-japan-korea-women-idUSBREA2N06620140324

Check was called and she had to be there.

She didn't get a new apology or more compensation, she acknowledge that there was already out there. So Abe's Kono gambit paid off.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

My time in Japan and visits to South Korea always left me struck by the similarities rather than the differences between the cultures although I've found you have to be careful about who you say that to in either country. A very interesting similarity is that both believe themselves to be unique and are very slow to recognise just how much of their culture isn't in fact their unique creation, particularly if it comes from China or Korea in the case of Japan, and China or Japan in the case of Korea. The most disturbing similarity is a widespread willingness to swallow whatever the media feeds them. It's very easy to whip up hatred of each other in these countries, but the flip side could be encouraging in that a change from the current mood wouldn't be impossible.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

She didn't get a new apology or more compensation, she acknowledge that there was already out there. So Abe's Kono gambit paid off.

Let's not forget that she VOWED to her citizens that unless this properly addressed by the Japanese counterparts, she would not agree to meet. So, it's safe to conclude that the Japanese government addressed this issue properly.

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

Hahahaha this is by far the funniest political episode I've ever seen. Ms. President why aren't you sticking to words? Don't want to talk to Japan, aye? Hahaha women change their minds unpredictably. Must be a side effect of her hormone replacement. Hahahaha

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Nigelboy, precisely. The childish here is South Korea. Tsk tsk. Changes mind like a toddler. I want candy , no, I want toys. Hahaha

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Mitch CohenMar. 26, 2014 - 11:12AM JST

Why do not we review how things went?

1945 Unconditional surrender of Japan.

1946 Japanese Government went through bankruptcy procedure called shinenkirikae. The outstanding Japanese currency became void. Creditors to the Japanese government received porportional payment and the remaining balance became void.

1965 Korea Japan Basic Treaty, which is to settle conclusivelyy all the compensation claims of Korean civilians and government arising before 1945, when the rule of Japanese Empire over Korea ended.

1997 Japan established Asia Women Fund to pay compensation for former comfort women. Korean Government threatened former comfort women with financial penalty from receiving money from AWF, saying the money does not come directly from Japanese Government, knowing San Francisco Peace Treaty effectively prohibits Japan from directly paying compensation to victims.

2000 Korean former comfort women filed lawsuits seeking compensation payment from Japanese Government at a California court in the US. Hwang Geum Joo et al v Japan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Comfort_women/Archive_2#Hwang_Geum_Joo_et_al._v._Japan

has good links. The lawsuits were turned down in 2006.

2010 Monument of Korean Sex Slave in Fort Lee NJ.

2013 Statue of Korean Sex Slave in Glendale CA.

The problem we see here is that Korea is reopening the case settled multiple times.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

The only anti-Japan people are those who don't want Japan and S.Korea to get along.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Abe's wish to meet with Park is a matter of domestic as well as international politics, but it has little to do with improving bilateral relations with South Korea outside of US pressure or leadership. Abe wanted Obama to force Park to meet him, so he can maintain his "I wanted to meet with her on several occasions but she doesn't really want to...it's her side which is impeding better relations" stance...and then go back to whitewashing history texts, "studying" the Kono Statement and visiting Yasukuni to keep his right-wing base pleased back here at home.

Abe also wanted to show a willingness to meet Park in order to strengthen bilateral relations between Japan and the US (who wanted this meeting more than either Japan or SK), and since Obama seems perfectly satisfied with the facade of success whenever he fails to achieve anything of substance (which is quite often), he will be quite satisfied with his ability to arrange this "meeting."

The South Koreans will play the History card on Japan for as long as it works, just like the Chinese do. And it works! The rest of the world takes the victims', not the aggressors' side in discussions about World War II, especially when you have prominent and popular revisionists like Ishihara, Hashimoto and Tamogami running around Japan getting national and international attention.

Yet this is also a domestic political matter for Park as well as Abe: what better way to shore up her base at home than by finding foes overseas? No matter: both Japan and the US got their meeting, and anyway, with the impending slowdown in the Japanese economy coming up once the tax hike kicks in, Abe will need to focus all his energy back home finding new and desperate deficit-exploding ways try and mitigate the negative consequences of "Abe-Bomb-ics" for quite a while to come...

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Abe's wish to meet with Park is a matter of domestic as well as international politics, but it has little to do with improving bilateral relations with South Korea outside of US pressure or leadership. Abe wanted Obama to force Park to meet him, so he can maintain his "I wanted to meet with her on several occasions but she doesn't really want to...it's her side which is impeding better relations" stance...and then go back to whitewashing history texts, "studying" the Kono Statement and visiting Yasukuni to keep his right-wing base pleased back here at home.

I see nothing wrong with re examine the materials that lead to the issuance of Kono Statement. It's essentially seeking the truth and dealing with the past which Korean government asked for.

Abe also wanted to show a willingness to meet Park in order to strengthen bilateral relations between Japan and the US (who wanted this meeting more than either Japan or SK), and since Obama seems perfectly satisfied with the facade of success whenever he fails to achieve anything of substance (which is quite often), he will be quite satisfied with his ability to arrange this "meeting."

Nothing wrong with face saving Obama who is failing both domestically and internationally who is still the leader of the U.S. which is Japan's key ally no matter who the leader is.

The South Koreans will play the History card on Japan for as long as it works, just like the Chinese do. And it works! The rest of the world takes the victims', not the aggressors' side in discussions about World War II, especially when you have prominent and popular revisionists like Ishihara, Hashimoto and Tamogami running around Japan getting national and international attention.

The rest of the world has very high opinions of Japan as evidenced by the BBC poll and the success of Abe's trip in other parts of Asia.

Yet this is also a domestic political matter for Park as well as Abe: what better way to shore up her base at home than by finding foes overseas? No matter: both Japan and the US got their meeting, and anyway, with the impending slowdown in the Japanese economy coming up once the tax hike kicks in, Abe will need to focus all his energy back home finding new and desperate deficit-exploding ways try and mitigate the negative consequences of "Abe-Bomb-ics" for quite a while to come...

She vowed not to cave in but she did. She's got the domestic media and the opposition party to deal with this failure. On top of that she has her population recording the largest household debt under IMF stress test.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

South Korea cemented herself as a childish nation to others.

Yes because Japan is oh so mature, right? The constant flip flop on various issues, crying over things other countries do, the white washing of history and the constant denials by various government leaders is exactly what a mature country would do.

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

Obama deals the cards, Park bluffs, Abe offers chocolate, smithinjapan cries.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

Yes because Japan is oh so mature, right? The constant flip flop on various issues, crying over things other countries do, the white washing of history and the constant denials by various government leaders is exactly what a mature country would do.

That pretty much sums up all countries but I'm specifically talking about "bad mouthing Japan" to other countries publicly but when facing the Japanese leader, she keeps quiet. Equivalent to what a teenager does.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

The only reason why Abe and Park were there was because Obama pretty much demanded that they be there. If the U.S wasn't there, these two would never meet and you all know that too be true.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If Obama is truly serious he should just tell Shinzo Abe right in his face and in front of President Park to repent for all his sins and honesty apologise through concrete actions for Japan's war crimes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't think anyone has a high opinion of Abe and LDP's nationalism.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

JoeBiggs: love the "Abe's gambit" BS. He was forced to give up revising of the Kon statement by US, SK, British, NK, and pressure from other nations. If you call that cunning... well...

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Mitch CohenMar. 26, 2014 - 09:26AM JST

Japan needs SK as a strategic partner to fend off China's advances

I am sorry to say this, but every Japanese will laugh at this comment. Except for Senkakus, Japanese see little possibility of invasion by China. Korea is far from Senkakus and has no value of their defense.

Are you suggesting China will invade Kyushu through Korean Peninsula? There is Korean Strait between Korea and Kyushu. The strait has a lot more defensive value than the peninsula.

Defense policy of Japan is defense of "sea lane". The objective is to maintain the safe travel of Japanese fleets in the Pacific Ocean. South Korea has almost no defensive value for the sea lane defense. Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and other ASEAN countries have much bigger defensive value for Japan. Of course, the US, Australia, and New Zealand are the most important countries in terms of sea lane defense.

On the other hand, Japan sees South Korea a very important economic and cultural partner. Both sides can win a lot by maintaining a good relationship.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

This is another US liberal propaganda story, Obama who is the worst president in american history with zero respect internationally due to his total lack of maturity or real statesmanship can't bring together anyone. Any meetings happening are happening because it serves the people involved and I am sure they tolerate Obama because it is useful. I am so sorry to see such lack of decent leadership in the US at the moment. We just must hope for better to come.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Obama who is the worst president in american history with zero respect internationally due to his total lack of maturity or real statesmanship can't bring together anyone.

Obama is the best president America has had in decades, and is well respected in most of the world world with the exception of the US. You should try to get out of the bubble and read non-American news sometimes.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Obama is the best president America has had in decades, and is well respected in most of the world world with the exception of the US. You should try to get out of the bubble and read non-American news sometimes.

Which country is that? LOL...

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Obama is the best president America has had in decades, and is well respected in most of the world.

Maybe, in Albania, Poland and Ukraine. People of most of the world aren't so much excited of him.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Which country is that? LOL...

Try Japan. Most Japanese people like him, and the government is friendly with him.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

'I am so sorry to see such lack of decent leadership in the US at the moment'

Try Japan. I've seen a procession of well-connected, incompetent, forgettable non-entities come and go basically since I got here, Abe included. That's part of the reason Japan isn't taken seriously by other world leaders. The guy you meet at a G8 will be out on his arse by the time the next one comes around. Korea and China know that the next speech-reading nodding dog probably won't be selling a nationalist agenda and are getting mileage out of this temp.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Obama should understand that S.Korea belongs to China. Get over it! But the problem is that Obama doesn't understand that China is a communist country, or he doesn't understand what communism is. and that man is the President of the United States, this is horrible.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

the problem is that Obama doesn't understand that China is a communist country, or he doesn't understand what communism is.

It would appear that the one who doesn't know what communism is is you, or you would know that China is not a communist country.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

No. most Japanese including conservative pro US Japanese hate Obama. Because he doesn't care for freedom. He disgraced freedom of religion. Obama is not an American, or America is no more.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

"The United States hopes the move may improve the bilateral relationship between Seoul and Tokyo, clouded by resentment over Japan’s colonial past"

U.S.: You kids knock it off already!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Gotta start somewhere...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Abe is the worst Japanese PM Koreans' have ever dealt with and they know he is not sincere nor ready to mend the differences. When the opportunity arise he will gladly return to his belligerent ways again.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Nice photo. Park looks like the proverbial brat teenage daughter who was forced to sit at the table by Dad next to her.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

@OssanAmericaMAR. 27, 2014 - 04:19AM JST Nice photo. Park looks like the proverbial brat teenage daughter who was forced to sit at the tab

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Males usually do not bother but female dignitaries going to get pictured usually have excellent makeup artscts. That is why they look cute and young, Nice picture. One of best pictures we can see. After many rehearsals.

Hope they talked about economic growth and future peace, etc.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Why would PM Park want to go against China? Isn't Korea China's biggest sidekick? Can't believe how naive Obama is. He should start worrying about China & Russia cozing up as well.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Can't believe how naive Obama is.

He has neither knowledges nor skills to be a good politician. His behavior reminds me a cheerleader.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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