President Moon Slams Japan’s Dishonesty Over Trade Restrictions

Here is what President Moon had to say about Japan’s trade restrictions that were implemented this week on South Korea:

President Moon Jae-in slammed Japan’s removal of Korea from its “white list” of trusted trading partners, urging Tokyo to become more “honest” about its reason and to acknowledge its historical wrongdoings on Thursday.  

Moon said that the Japanese government’s recent action was “very regrettable” as he held a cabinet meeting on next year’s budget in the Blue House, noting that Tokyo has “linked historical issues to economic matters,” calling its attitude “very disingenuous.”

Japan on Wednesday removed Korea from its white list of countries given preferential treatment in exports, implementing a decision reached by its cabinet at the beginning of this month.  

The Japanese government has yet to “state an honest reason for its economic retaliation,” Moon said, noting that it has shifted its rhetoric “as frequently as necessary.”

Tokyo’s export regulations implemented since the beginning of July are widely seen as retaliation for Korean Supreme Court rulings last year ordering Japanese companies to compensate Korean victims of forced labor during World War II. The top court acknowledged the illegality of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea and recognized that the victims’ rights to individual compensation have not expired.  

Japan has yet to officially acknowledge that its economic retaliations are a result of the forced labor rulings and instead has been citing national security concerns and a breach of “trust” as reasons for exports controls on Korea.  

Joong Ang Ilbo

Japan says the trade restrictions were put in place to help prevent illegal exports from South Korea to North Korea. There has been illegal exports to North Korea, but I think everyone knows the real reason for the trade restrictions is because of the threat to seize assets from Japanese companies over past historical issues. That is why Moon is calling the restrictions dishonest.

Moon goes on:

Moon further said that Tokyo “has been never honest” on historical issues, noting that Japan “was the perpetrator behind unfortunate chapters of history” in Korea and many other Asian countries.

The president said that Tokyo claiming the Dokdo islets in the East Sea, which Japan calls Takeshima, is “preposterous” as the islets are considered the first territory “to fall victim to imperial Japan’s aggression.”  

South Korea clearly owns Dokdo, but the Japanese government continues to make claims to it mainly because of the Kuril Islands occupied by Russia. If Japan drops their claim to Dokdo the Russian government could say that since Japan has recognized the ROK occupation of the Dokdo Islets as legitimizing the ownership of that islet, than the Russian occupation of the Kuril Islands after World War II should be legitimized as well.

Moon continues:

He pointed out that this “attitude” of the Japanese government, which distorts history and “neither acknowledges nor repents its past wrongdoings,” only “aggravates the wounds and anguish of the victims.”

Moon said it “is never shameful to remember and reflect on the past,” noting every country has such moments.  

“Recollection and self-reflection about the past can never be completed,” he said, and cannot be “brought to conclusion just by saying that repentance is over because it was uttered once, or that the past is completely over because an agreement was reached once.”

Tokyo claims that a 1965 treaty normalizing bilateral relations with Korea, which provided an economic cooperation fund, settled all compensation matters.

Japan has made multiple apologies and have clearly hit apology fatigue over their historical issues with South Korea. I am still waiting for the Moon administration to demand China and North Korea “repent on its past wrong doings” like he is saying Japan should continue to do. The destruction caused by North Korea and China during the Korean War was far worse than what Japan did during their colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula. Plus China continues to have their economic retaliation in place against South Korea over the THAAD issue.

Also it is interesting that Moon says that since an agreement was reached once doesn’t mean that matter is really settled which how he is likely justifying the withdrawing out of the comfort women agreement reached during the Park Geun-hye administration and demanding more compensation for Japan.

Most people probably felt the relationship with Japan was likely to go poorly once President Moon was elected after much progress during the Park administration was made to normalize the relationship. I don’t think anyone thought the relationship would get this bad though.

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Flyingsword
Flyingsword
5 years ago

Korea dihonored all the agreegments, commie moon is an idiot

Kravata
Kravata
5 years ago

Japan made claims that South Korea exported to North Korea yet that assertion is conjecture and South Korea for sake of “alliance” kept quiet about Japanese export to North Korea including chemicals that Japanese government accused South of exporting to North.

“I am still waiting for the Moon administration to demand China and North Korea “repent on its past wrong doings” like he is saying Japan should continue to do. The destruction caused by North Korea and China during the Korean War was far worse than what Japan did during their colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula.”

That is apples to oranges and vast majority of destruction was caused by the “United Nations Command” with vast majority of forces being American, the U.S.A. dropped more bombs on northern part of Korean peninsula than it did to Imperial Japan while also killing more Koreans than the Japanese did during whole occupation. Vast majority of killing was done by the UNC with indiscriminate bombing, it didn’t matter if buildings were military or civilian nor the people, dams being bombed, causing flooding and famine.

Park administration made agreement as it consisted of pro-Japan faction that is descendants of Koreans who collaborated with Imperial Japan, Park Geun-hye is daughter of dictator Park Chung-hee who collaborated with Imperial Japan and took Japanese names. The US conducted regime change in southern part of Korean peninsula in 1945-1946 which led to rebellion and civil war under administration of the American military government that recruited Koreans that collaborated with Imperial Japan to suppress resistance towards occupation.

In 1948 the US supported newly founded ROK whose military consisted primarily of Koreans who collaborated with Imperial Japan.

1965 agreement made by Park Chung-hee, before signing there were protests in Seoul by the students that were promptly with use of heavy force dispersed.

2016 agreement by daughter of the dictator with Japan and Shinzo Abe administration, that Abe who is proud of his grandfather, a war criminal known under name “Devil from Showa”, Nobusuke Kishi. Abe is close with people that are member of Nippon Kaigi and there is considerable degree of LDP members being part of Nippon Kaigi and other far-right organizations.

setnaffa
setnaffa
5 years ago

What’s that smell?

Kravata
Kravata
5 years ago

The smell of sulfur where ever you go, diablo.

Kravata
Kravata
5 years ago

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/08/30/business/japans-curbs-high-tech-exports-south-korea-backfire/#.XWk5QntS9hF
“Japan’s curbs on high-tech materials exports to South Korea could backfire in long run”

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/907372.html
“Abe’s refusal to engage with S. Korea marks end of Japan’s status as peaceful country,” says Haruki Wada

setnaffa
setnaffa
5 years ago

Someone should buy Mooncup a copy of this book:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Serfdom

Or maybe they did… and he’s using it the wrong way…

Flyingsword
Flyingsword
5 years ago

Korea continues to dishonor and ignore past agreements. Korea should be ashamed of itself. As far as protesters in the street, who cares. Just because they were protesting doesn’t mean they were correct.

MSS
MSS
5 years ago

When Moon became president, he staked his presidency on the following; 1) Grand peace with North Korea 2) the economy 3) controlling real estate prices 4) reform of the judiciary and 5) ‘correcting’ the ‘unjust’ agreement regarding comfort women.

Well we know items one to four has tanked and gone south. As for the last item, not only has Moon met his objective, there was the added benefit of the Supreme Court ruling and Japan’s reaction which has enabled him to channel public anger toward Japan while deflecting public opinion from his failures.

Considering that increasing anti-Japanese sentiment is the easiest thing to do and has bigger bang for the buck, I do not see Moon letting go of this anytime soon.

MSS
MSS
5 years ago

That and the need to keep his leftist base happy.

setnaffa
setnaffa
5 years ago

MSS, I believe you have analyzed the situation in a clear and concise fashion.

Well done.

Sadly, there is little left for outsiders like myself to do except miss what was, muse sadly on what is and will be, and hope for South Korea to trim the ballast before she capsizes.

MSS
MSS
5 years ago

I wouldn’t keep my fingers crossed.

Koreans in general are more interested in what is in front of them and fighting over whatever available resources then being concerned about righting the ship.

Heck, it’s tomorrow’s problem. Let’s worry about it tomorrow!! In the meantime, I have to get this piece of whatever before someone else gets his hands on it!

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