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The trilateral summit was President Park's first official opportunity to sit down face-to-face
with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. However, experts say the meeting will do little
to mend the two countries' frosty relations. Hwang Sung-hee reports. Will Korea-Japan relations
take a turn for the better following Tuesday's meeting between President Park Geun-hye and
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe? Their trilateral summit with U.S. President
Barack Obama on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague was the first
official meeting between the two leaders. President Park had refused to meet with Abe,
until he pledged to uphold Japan's 1993 apology issued to the victims of its wartime ***
enslavement.
"But most experts say the trilateral meeting will do little to mend the strained Korea-Japan
relations. This, as Tokyo's recent change in attitude was mainly due to pressure from
Washington rather than its sincerity about improving its bilateral ties with Seoul."
"Japan tends to behave depending on the circumstances, and reveal its real stance again when the
situation improves. It's a vicious cycle for Korea-Japan relations, that rotates from a
temporary mending of relations to a worsening of ties."
Japan's sincerity was put into question following a comment made by one of Abe's close aides
last weekend. Just days after the Japanese leader promised
to honor the 1993 apology, his special advisor Koichi Hagiuda raised the possibility of issuing
a new statement over the so-called comfort women issue.
He said Tokyo should consider issuing a new political statement if fresh findings emerge
while the government verifies how the apology was prepared.
Experts say such contradictory actions will only push the two neighbors further apart.
"Just as the Japanese government is investigating its 1993 apology despite its pledge to uphold
it ahead of the trilateral meeting, a Korea-Japan summit is not a likely possibility anytime
soon... unless there is a fundamental change in Tokyo's stance."
Besides, there are more occasions lined up in April that could stir up the current diplomatic
feud, including an annual spring festival during which Abe may visit the controversial
Yasukuni war shrine again, just as he did in December.
Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News.