Korea-Japan Relationship Is Cooling Down

Regarding the textbook distortion of the Japanese historical text book and the fishing operation in the Kuril Islands, the Korea-Japan relationship is rapidly cooling down. The government will reveal its measures in the future right after receiving the Japan`s governmental position on the Korea`s request for the historical textbook amendment. However, when the Japanese government refuses to amend the historical textbooks as the Japanese press reported, the Korean government is going to respond strongly.

The government made such decision at the meeting for the measures to the Japanese historical textbook distortions in the Central Government Complex and decided the countermeasures by stages, including the postpone of the additional cultural opening to Japan, the reduction of the Korea-Japan exchange programs, the suspension of the high authorities exchange between the two nations, the rejection against the Japan`s entry into a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and bringing this issue to the UN and international society.

The government is known as refusing the request for the presidential meeting with the chief secretaries of the Japanese ruling coalition, who are visiting Korea now.

Foreign Minister Han Seung-Soo, who had returned from his trip to Europe on June 7, stated at the interview with the Yomiuri that the Japanese government has to ``take responsibility for the full amendment`` of the 35 items requested by the Korean government.

Minister Han turned down the proposal of the Japanese right-wing organization, Meeting for New Historical Textbook, which had recently suggested an autonomous amendment of 9 items. Mr. Han said, ``it`s nothing but a trick.``

Meanwhile, as the second unofficial meeting of the working groups from Korea and Japan ends in a rupture, the government will go on for the fishing operation in the Kuril Islands from the pre-scheduled July 15.

The Korean government emphasized at the meeting that ``the fishing operation in the Kuril Islands is a pure fishing matter, having nothing to do with the Japanese sovereignty.`` However, the Japanese government did not acknowledge the fact nor provide a reasonable alternative such as alternative fishing areas.

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com