GREAT TO HAVE YOU IN THE NEW YORK STUDIOS.
THIS MOVE BY THE PRESIDENT TO WARM UP TIES WITH JAPAN, NOT
NECESSARILY POPULAR TO MESS CLEAT IN SOUTH KOREA.
>> VERY UNPOPULAR.
HE'S ALREADY SUFFERING FROM LOW POPULARITY AND HIS POLLS WENT
DOWN AFTER HE MADE THIS DECISION TO IMPROVE TIES WITH
JAPAN. SHERY: WHY DID HE HAVE TO DO THIS?
SUE: HE IS A BELIEVER HAVING A FEW
CHAIR BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JAPAN.
WE WANT TO IMPROVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JAPAN AND KOREA-JAPAN
RELATIONSHIP IN RECENT YEARS WAS AT HISTORIC LOW.
THEY ALWAYS HAD TENSE RELATIONSHIPS BUT LAST SEVERAL
YEARS, IT HAS BEEN REALLY BAD. SHERY:
WHICH HAS BEEN A HEADACHE FOR WASHINGTON.
HOW WELL DOES THIS SUE: BODE FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN?
SUE:FOR WASHINGTON IN THE UNITED STATES, WE WANT NOTHING MORE
THAN TWO LIBERAL, MATURE DEMOCRACIES TO GET ALONG.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CONCERN FOR THE UNITED STATES, SO WE
WELCOME IT. WASHINGTON WELCOMES THE BOLD
DECISION TO IMPROVE TIES WITH JAPAN. HAIDI:
HOW MUCH POLITICAL SUPPORT IS THERE DOMESTICALLY? SUE:
HE DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT.
THE OPPOSITION PARTY AND LEADERS ARE CRITICIZING HIM.
DOMESTICALLY, IT'S AN UNPOPULAR DECISION BUT NORTH KOREA TESTED
SOME 100 MISSILES. 30 TESTS THIS YEAR.
THEY ARE SPENDING AND MODERNIZING THEIR NUCLEAR
MISSILE PROGRAM. NORTH KOREA IS GOING TO BE
CONTINUALLY DOING THIS.
THERE ON THIS PATH FOR MORE PROVOCATIONS AND EXPENDING WMD.
THERE IS A REASON FOR SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN TO WORK
TOGETHER. THEY NEED TO DO MORE INTELLIGENCE SHARING AND WORK
TOGETHER TO DEAL WITH THE NORTH KOREAN THREAT. HAIDI:
THE NORTH KOREAN THREAT BUT ALSO THE WISH MORE BROADLY TO
CONTAIN A RISING CHINA, IN TERMS OF TRADE AND STRENGTH
WHEN IT COMES TO BROADER REGIONAL SECURITY.
HOW BIG IS THE APPETITE IN TERMS OF THAT CHINA CONTAINMENT
STRATEGY AND HOW CHALLENGING IS IT GIVEN THEY REMAIN THE
BIGGEST TRADING PARTNER FOR BOTH SUE:?
IT'S MORE CHALLENGING FOR SOUTH KOREA.
CHINA IS SOUTH KOREA'S NUMBER ONE TRADING PARTNER.
SOUTH KOREA HAS ALWAYS BEEN HEDGING BETWEEN U.S.
AND CHINA, JUST WALKING A VERY FINE LINE.
IT IS A VERY BIG CONCERN AND THE PRESIDENT WANTS MORE
VALUE-BASED FROM POLICY AND WORK WITH LIKE-MINDED ALLIES.
YOU MENTION RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE, THE REGION IS VERY
COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED AND WE HAVE NORTH KOREA AND WMD'S.
THERE'S EVERY REASON FOR SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN TO WORK
TOGETHER IN THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY BECAUSE DOMESTICALLY, THIS IS
NOT A POPULAR ISSUE. SHERY: WHICH MAKES ME THINK HOW LONG
WILL THIS REALLY LAST? WE HAVE SORT OF SOME RESOLUTION
WITH THE ISSUE OF COMFORT WOMEN, WOMEN CONSTRICTED FOR
SEX, SEX SLAVES, ESSENTIALLY.
SUE: THAT HISTORY OF COMFORT WOMEN
WAS CONCLUDED AND WHEN HE CAME IN, HE SCRAPPED THE DEAL.
THAT WAS THE MEMORY, THE JAPANESE THINKS ABOUT THIS TIME
AROUND. WE KNOW THIS IS AN UNPOPULAR
ISSUE AND WE HAVE A NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION IN APRIL.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT ELECTION? BUT PRESIDENT YOON HAS AT LEAST
FOUR MORE YEARS. HOPEFULLY JAPAN AND KOREA CAN
GET SOMEWHERE BEFORE IT CHANGES TO A PROGRESSIVE ADMINISTRATION
AND WE ARE AT THAT STAGE AGAIN WHERE WE HAVE TO RETHINK ABOUT
THE ISSUES. SHERY:
HOW DOES THE KOREAN PUBLIC FEEL ABOUT CHINA? IN THE U.S.
COME A THERE'S BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS CONTAINING THE RISE
OF BEIJING. SUE: IT IS VERY INTERESTING.
CHINA IS SOUTH KOREA'S NUMBER ONE TRADING PARTNER, HUGELY
IMPORTANT ECONOMICALLY. BUT CHINA IS VERY UNPOPULAR IN
TERMS OF PUBLIC PERCEPTION. ITS LOWEST IN THE WORLDWIDE
SURVEY. THE VIEW IS LOWEST IN SOUTH
KOREA AND THIS CAME ABOUT AFTER CHINA BOYCOTTED AND SANCTIONED
SOUTH KOREA FIRMS OVER THE MISSILE DEPLOYMENT.
THE SOUTH KOREAN VIEW IS VERY LOW, EVEN LOWER THAN JAPAN.
SHERY: I WONDER IF THAT HELPS THE
ADMINISTRATION? SUE: