President Yoon Seok-yeol has stated that he was "ashamed" to hear a Japanese opposition politician say, "I would directly convince the Korean opposition party to strengthen Korea-Japan ties."
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| Japanese President Fumio Kishida (left) and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) |
President Yoon underlined the importance of improving Korea-Japan ties in a 23-minute all-out speech at yesterday's cabinet meeting, and then transmitted the meeting's contents to the attendees in the subsequent closed-door meeting, according to a presidential office official.
According to a presidential office official, on the 17th, during a meeting with the leadership of Japan's first opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, and President Yoon, the Japanese side thanked President Yoon for his visit to Japan and expressed his desire to normalize Korea-Japan relations.
Later, Masaharu Nakagawa, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party's Constitutional Inquiry Committee, remarked, "Just as President Seok-yeol Yoon aided, we will help, too."
President Yoon is believed to have declared, "I was ashamed to hear such a thing" to the cabinet meeting attendees yesterday.
"It is Japan that reacts without opposition in front of the national interest, and that is embarrassing," one cabinet meeting attendee stated, while another remarked, "The Japanese opposition party was quite envious."
There was also a message that he explained the enmity between Korea and Japan by comparing it to a 'wall'.
"The two families of Korea and Japan lived happily without barriers," President Yoon stated, "but then a quarrel emerged between them, and they erected a wall."
According to a presidential office official, the two nations were alluding to the current 'wall' between Korea and Japan over the execution of the comfort women accord.
However, President Yoon stressed policy marketing, stating that "a policy that the people are unaware of is not a policy." According to presidential officials, President Yoon directed that "the notion of marketing be included into legislation and aggressively informed the public," mentioning marketing of items such as washing machines and ramen as examples.
He appears to have directed countermeasures against the latest working hour reform law, which has drawn criticism, notably from the so-called MZ generation.