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Updated November 18th, 2021 at 15:44 IST

Japanese vice FM Takeo declines to hold presser with South Korean counterpart in US

Japanese vice foreign minister refused to hold a press conference with South Korean counterpart during the tri-nation meet in the United States.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
Japanese diplomat
Image: Twitter/@Jong Kun Choi | Image:self
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On Wednesday, November 17, a United States-sponsored show of cooperation with Japan and South Korea faltered when American diplomats couldn't persuade their Asian allies to share a press conference stage, reported The Associated Press (AP). At the State Department, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman was scheduled to attend a press conference with her colleagues - South Korean vice foreign minister Choi Jong Kun and Japanese vice foreign minister Mori Takeo. However, Sherman sat alone at a table answering questions from reporters from those countries. She explained that "some bilateral disputes" between the two Asian countries are still being worked out and are "unconnected to the current meeting."

Meanwhile, the visit of the South Korean police chief on Wednesday to the disputed Takeshima islands was met with "deep regret" in Japan. "We determined that holding a joint press conference would be useless in light of the protests directed at the South Korean party over Seoul's activities on the Takeshima Islands," remarked Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno as reported by news agency Sputnik. The Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo Islands in Seoul and Takeshima Islands in Tokyo, are nearly equidistant from both Japan and South Korea, where a small police presence is stationed. The islets have been a source of friction for decades, with both sides claiming long-standing historical ties to the archipelago, which is said to be rich in natural resources.

Japan-South Korea disputed over several issues

It is pertinent to mention here that there are numerous disagreements going on between Japan and South Korea. These include, Japan's wartime occupation of Korea and other historical issues, Japan's handling of radioactive material from the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, trade tensions, and other issues are among the areas of contention. Japan prioritises settling the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, although South Korea has been more lenient with its immediate neighbour in the past. Meanwhile, South Korea also has grudges against Japan for its wartime behaviour and occupation of the country, especially the issue of "comfort women" - Korean women were forced into sexual service by Japan's imperial army, reported The AP.

More recently, the high-profile disagreements between the two US partners have centred on commercial practices and intelligence sharing. Meanwhile, as a deterrent to China's own territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific, the US has been attempting to develop multiparty alliances. The postponed three-party press conference appeared to be unusual, warning about the limitations of any such US-Japan-South Korea cooperation.

Meanwhile, according to Sherman, the three-country meeting that preceded the news conference lasted three hours. She described the conversation between three leaders as "warm, constructive, and substantive." "The progress made before to the no-show news conference underscores why the trilateral structure with the US, Japan, and the Republic of Korea is so crucial and powerful," she stated as reported by The AP.

Image: Twitter/@Jong Kun Choi

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Published November 18th, 2021 at 15:44 IST

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