S. Korean envoy hopes Japan-N. Korea Red Cross talks success

0 Comments | Asian Political News, April 22, 2002

TOKYO, April 19 Kyodo

New South Korean Ambassador to Japan Cho Se Hyung expressed hope Friday that talks between Japan's and North Korea's Red Cross societies scheduled at the end of this month in Beijing will bear fruit.

''I sincerely hope that the Red Cross talks will be held in a frank manner and that the parties can find a starting point toward resolving'' the issues at hand, Cho told the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo.

The 70-year-old journalist-turned-politician, who arrived in Japan in late February to replace Choi Sang Yong, said he hopes the recent moves by North Korea to resume stalled dialogue with South Korea, Japan and the United States are a ''good sign.''

Cho said North Korea indicated to South Korean presidential envoy Lim Dong Won during his recent visit to Pyongyang that it intends to continue along the lines of the accords reached during the historic inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in June 2000, no matter who wins the South Korean presidential election in December.

He also said he is positive that the individual whoever replaces President Kim Dae Jung will continue with the engagement policy toward North Korea taken by Kim, explaining that both ruling and opposition parties basically support his ''sunshine'' policy.

''Although there is less than a year left for the current administration, I believe there will be no changes in Seoul's position regarding South-North relations, including the sunshine policy and the will to resolve problems through dialogue,'' Cho said.

Asked about his views on the possibility of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi making a visit this summer to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals among Japan's war dead, he said he hopes Tokyo will expedite setting up a war memorial as an alternative to the Tokyo shrine.

''I pray that the issue will not bring about unnecessary misunderstanding or friction between the two countries,'' the ambassador said. He acknowledged having seen media reports that Koizumi will not visit the shrine on Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.

The premier visited the shrine on Aug. 13 last year, provoking angry responses from neighboring Asian countries that were victims of Japan's past military aggression, including South Korea and China.

Regarding the Japanese school history textbook issue, Cho expressed hope that the Japan-South Korea joint history research committee to be launched in the near future will come up with points of agreement over the coming year or two.

''It is difficult to set a time limit to try to resolve differences in the recognition of history, but I think we can get good results from a joint study of historical facts if the two sides take a scholastic approach,'' he said.

However, Japanese government officials have emphasized that the research is meant to allow experts from the two countries to share their interpretations of history to better understand how and why they differ, and the committee's report on their work is unlikely to reflect a unified interpretation.

Thus the outcome may not necessarily be reflected in the process of compiling Japanese textbooks, which are prepared by publishers and approved by the government's screening system. In South Korea, the government compiles textbooks.

On the possibility of a free trade agreement (FTA), Cho said he is hopeful of a successful outcome if the two sides tackle the matter with a ''win-win strategy'' in which they recognize that what is good for the other country will be good for their own as well.

Last month in Seoul, Koizumi and Kim agreed to start a feasibility study among government, business and academic representatives on a bilateral FTA.

The envoy said he believes this year, when the two countries will co-host the World Cup soccer finals in early summer and have been holding events under the designation of National Exchange Year, will serve as a ''golden opportunity'' for further advances in bilateral ties.

''Without losing this momentum, our two countries, which stand at the forefront of Asia, must work closely on planning, make faithful efforts and take passionate action. If the start goes well, I am confident the future of Asia will be a bright one,'' Cho said.