[Editorial] Deceived by Russia, Teased by Japan

Japan and Russia reportedly reached an agreement a few days ago to ban third countries, including Korea, from fishing saury in the waters off Southern Kuril Islands. According to a report, these two countries have virtually come to a conclusion, simply leaving a final executive negotiation. For it is found difficult to secure substitute fishing fields, it is our fishermen who should pay the price, who trusted the government that had said ``Korea’s interests will not be disregarded at the negotiation between Japan and Russia.`` Even though the government has begun to prepare measures, including its decision to dispatch governmental delegates to Russia this weekend, it is questionable whether such a belated diplomatic effort would be effective.

It was during the last weekend when the news was brought to us that Russia and Japan would reach an agreement to ban third countries from fishing in the waters off Southern Kuril Islands. But the issue was already a `diplomatic matter` since Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sent a personal message to Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning this issue. Nevertheless, the governmental departments in charge did not open the news to the public, and thus fell under a strong suspicion that they had just remained onlookers.

The primary responsibility should be place on Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries was not found to catch hold of the flow of the negotiation, which had argued up to a few days ago, ``Russia and Japan did not agree to ban Korean fishing boats from fishing in the waters near Southern Kuril Islands.`` I cannot help questioning whether such incompetent Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries exists for the sake of our fishermen.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is the same. Even though Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is explaining that it was grasping Japan`s movements toward Russia and coped with it, but was not able to disclose a diplomatic case in the process to the press, it can hardly avoid the criticism that it had repeated a general principle that the general public like to hear until the situation turned out this way.

The current situation has resulted from disputes between Russia and Japan over the ownership of Southern Kuril Islands (northern four islands). But to be sure, that Japan dealt with Russia excluding Korea that has practical interests in this region will bring in another baleful effect when the Korea-Japan relation was aggravated by the issue of textbook distortion and Japanese Prime Minister`s visit to Yasukuni Shrine. Russia, which had sent to our government more than ten times such a message that ``Korea`s fishery interests will not fully considered.`` can hardly eschew the charge of having conducted a `dual play`.

The current situation has revealed plainly that our diplomacy perspective is fragmentary and of low-level. The government must put its all efforts to secure our fishery interests. Reprehension of those who are responsible should be considered on this occasion, and a thorough internal inspection and a reflection should be followed as well.