Japanese lawmaker claims his remarks of `immature Korea` misrepresented

Takeo Kawamura, an influential lawmaker of Japan`s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and secretary-general of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians` Union, on Friday expressed regret for his condescending remarks about Korea, claiming that his "true intention was misrepresented."

During his appearance on a recent Japanese TV talk show, Kawamura said that South Korea "lacks maturity," citing South Korea`s charges against a Japanese reporter in Seoul for defaming President Park Geun-hye.

"While it is true that there are criticisms in Japan that Seoul is barring the journalist`s departure from the country for too long, it is undesirable for Tokyo to delete the expression "sharing values with South Korea" from Japan`s diplomatic blue book," the lawmaker told a Dong-A Ilbo reporter during a meeting at the Japanese parliament`s lower house hall. He said he had clearly conveyed his true intention to Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.

He explained his controversial remarks about Seoul`s lack of maturity were meant to urge the two countries to show a higher level of (political) maturity but not intended to diminish South Korea.

"It is time that all of us worried about how to resolve the Seoul-Tokyo relations that are at their worst ever," Kawamura said, proposing that the two neighbors put their heads together to resolve the wartime sex slavery issue involving the Imperial Japanese Army and to hold a bilateral summit at an early date.

He stressed that if the sex slavery issue cannot be resolved any time soon, both governments should consider having a joint council involving civilians discuss the issue with a time limit of three years and follow its conclusion. Then, he noted that a summit between President Park and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would help resolve the sex slavery issue.

"If a summit takes place, Prime Minister Abe will bring his proposal for addressing the issue," the lawmaker said. "It will be unlikely for the bilateral relations to get worse after the summit, as President Park is concerned."

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