President Lee Jae-myung expressed his intention to respect the agreements on comfort women and compensation for forced labor established during previous administrations ahead of his first visit to Japan since taking office. Considering that the Democratic Party of Korea has strongly criticized these agreements in the past, this is a significant statement. He evaluated Japan as 'a very important entity' and proposed the establishment of a future-oriented relationship.
President Lee held a one-on-one interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on 19th. This is his first face-to-face interview with domestic and foreign media since taking office in June. In this meeting, President Lee stated regarding the historical issues that are the biggest problems between Korea and Japan, 'It is a former regime agreement that is very difficult for the Korean people to accept, but as a nation, it is a promise, and it is not desirable to overturn it.'
This implies that the current administration will inherit the agreement on comfort women, which specified 'final and irreversible resolution' during Park Geun-hye's administration in 2015, and the forced labor compensation solution announced in 2023 by Yoon Suk-yeol's administration. President Lee added that, 'We need to consider policy consistency and national trust abroad,' but also mentioned that he bears 'two responsibilities that must seriously consider the positions of the people, victims, and bereaved families.'
President Lee expressed his ambition to develop Korea-Japan relations into 'something new and different from the past.' He emphasized, 'Japan is a very important entity to Korea, and Korea can also be a beneficial entity to Japan.' He showed his willingness to inherit the 'Joint Declaration on a New Korea-Japan Partnership for the 21st Century' announced in 1998 by then-President Kim Dae-jung and then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and to announce a new joint declaration that surpasses it during his term. The 'Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration' is a diplomatic achievement where Japan expressed 'sincere reflection and heartfelt apology' for its colonial rule and both countries pledged to develop a future-oriented relationship.
Regarding historical solutions, he suggested an 'human perspective.' President Lee remarked, 'The historical issue is more of an emotional issue than an economic one,' adding that 'the process of genuinely offering words of comfort to the victims is much more important.' He proposed a step-by-step solution stating we must solve the issue in the order of ▲ acknowledgment of facts ▲ sincere apology ▲ compensation. He also mentioned, 'If sincerity is conveyed, compensation may not be a significant issue.'
He also shared an anecdote about how his personal perception of Japan has changed. He said, 'At first, I had a rather negative impression of Japan, but my thoughts changed when I visited for work as a lawyer,' and remarked, 'I was impressed by the bright expressions, humble attitudes, and simple diligence of the Japanese people.' He noted that he read a novel titled 'Taemang,' which covers the biography of Tokugawa Ieyasu (the figure who established the Edo shogunate) over the years, saying, 'I personally came to respect Tokugawa Ieyasu's patience.'
President Lee will visit Japan on the 23rd to hold a summit with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Regarding this trip to Japan, he remarked, 'I am visiting first without any conditions,' indicating his aspirations to restore 'shuttle diplomacy' by regularizing reciprocal visits between the two leaders. He assessed that cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan, based on the Korea-U.S. alliance, is very important concerning security issues.