‘Korea-China-Japan summit to be regularized anew from next year’

The Japanese daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Friday that agreement will be reached at the (upcoming) Korea- China-Japan summit to hold next year’s summit in Japan, and to regularize the three-country summit anew, which has been suspended for three and half years. If President Park Geun-hye attends the meeting to take place in Japan next year, it will be her first visit to the island country since her inauguration.

According to the newspaper, the three countries are coordinating to specify that the three-way summit of Korea, China and Japan will take place in Japan next year in the joint communique from summit between President Park Geun-hye, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which will happen in Seoul on November 1.

However, the Japanese side is wary of the fact the Korea has yet to send an official request to convene Korea-Japan summit, which will take place on the sidelines of the Korea-China-Japan summit. Citing a Japanese government official who said, “Korea has not officially suggested schedule. Is President Park Geun-hye insisting on comfort women issue?” Kyoto News Agency reported on the day that Korea made response that fails to live up to its status as chair country. Tokyo reportedly has decided that if schedule is not fixed, it will have Sinske Sukiyama, director-general at the Japanese foreign ministry, officially propose to Seoul to hold a bilateral summit.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida also told a press conference on the day, ”We are coordinating about a bilateral meeting, and will continue to coordinate agendas as well,” indicating that the two sides will continue discussions about Korea-Japan summit to the last minute. The two countries have been beefing up high-level contacts to find a solution to the issue of the victims of "comfort women" for the Japanese military, the biggest pending issue between the two nations.

“Foreign Minister Kishida will hold a Korea-Japan foreign ministers’ meeting ahead of the Korea-Japan summit, and discuss about comfort women and other issues. Differences in views between Japan, which claims the issue was legally resolved, and Korea that demands Japan’s concessions, have yet to be narrowed," NHK said. “A high-level meeting between Korea, China and Japan, which will be attended by director-general Sukiyama, will take place around October 29," Kyoto reported. Korea and Japan will also likely hold discussions on pending issues including comfort women at the meeting as well.

Chief cabinet minister Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s government spokesman, said, “There is no change at all from our previous stance that the two countries will hold director-general level meetings and others to discuss pending issues including comfort women, and constantly address the issues going forward as well.”

peacechaos@donga.com