Foreign Minister cancels visit to Japan over shrine offering

The relationship between President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems to be shaky from the start because Tokyo provoked Seoul with a war shrine issue.

The Korean government cancelled Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se’s visit to Japan on Monday because Japanese Prime Minister Abe sent a tribute to Yasukuni war shrine honoring Japan’s class A war criminals during the World War II and cabinet members including Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso visited the shrine. Yun was supposed to visit Japan on April 26 and 27.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tae-young said in a commentary, “Tokyo must immediately stop the anachronistic behavior that ignores history.”

The government sees Deputy Prime Minister Aso’s visit to the shrine is a grave act that put a damp on the relationship between Korea and Japan. He visited Korea to celebrate President Park’s inauguration ceremony and met her in person. Then, President Park said to him, “A true friendly relationship between Korea and Japan requires efforts to face the history and cure the injuries of the past and a heartfelt understanding of the victims.” Government officials seem to show a stronger response than before, saying, “Tokyo rejected President Park’s sincerity to move the Korea-Japan relationship forward in the future-oriented manner.”

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide said in a press conference on Monday on the cancelled trip, “No specific schedule (of the Korea-Japan ministerial meeting) was set. Each country has each stance. It (visiting the shrine) should not have too much impact on diplomacy.” He said on the three cabinet ministers’ visit to Yasukuni Shrine, “It is understood as a visit on the personal level. The government would not talk about a cabinet member’s personal action.” The leading Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun said that day, “Minister Yun’s suspension on the visit would have an impact on the improvement of the Japan-Korea relationship and the joint response to North Korea.”

In response, a source from the Korean government strongly criticized, saying, “What the Japanese media say – the deterioration of the Korea-Japan relationship can be a stumbling block to the joint action for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue – is nothing but ‘cooperation without a soul’ with Japan that has no right historical perception.” Against this backdrop, it appears that the Korea-Japan summit is unlikely in the foreseeable future.

zeitung@donga.com