Welcome back.
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured... a sweeping victory... in Sunday's upper house
election... which took place... just days after...
the shocking... senseless shooting... of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In today's segment... of VIEW POINT... we RE-VISIT...
Seoul's ties... with Tokyo...
amid... the latest events.
For more...
I have Professor LEE HEE-EUN ... at KEIO University...
LIVE on the LINE.
Professor SOEYA... it's a pleasure... to have you... with us.
1) Professor Soeya... let's begin...
with a few words... on the results... of Sunday's election.
I understand...
the results were
largely expected?
2) Professor Lee... pundits had linked...
Tokyo's RESERVED RESPONSE... to Seoul's efforts... to ENHANCE bilateral ties... to its domestic
politics...
namely... the upper house election.
Now that...
it's over...
do you expect...
a warmer stance... from the Kishida administration...
to the Yoon administration's olive branch?
3) Professor Soeya... the Yoon administration has launched...
an advisory group...
consisting... of government officials and civilian experts... charged with the task...
of finding a solution... to the issue of wartime forced labor.
Do such efforts look to improve Seoul-Tokyo ties?
4) Professor Lee... staying with efforts... to find... a settlement... to historical matters.
The 12-member advisory committee includes...
two lawyers... representing the forced laborers.
Could you tell us a bit...
about their demands?
5) Professor Soeya... among the proposals... is one... that calls on...
Korean firms... that benefited... from Japanese loans and grants...
under the 1965 treaty...
like Posco... to make initial contributions... for compensation... and then... call on...
Japanese firms... for similar actions.
How feasible... is this proposal?
6-1) And Professor Lee...
do you see...
Korean companies...
as taking on... an active stance... with regard... to such contributions?
6-2) Professor Lee... speaking within your capacity as a law scholar...
what are your thoughts... on a potential solution... to this ongoing dispute...
between the two countries?
7) Professor Soeya...
some say...
Tokyo's removal... of restrictions...
on key export items... to Seoul...
may serve... to put... on track... efforts... to boost ties.
What are the chances... of such a move... from Japan?
8) Professor Lee... the
most recent accord...
between South Korea and Japan...
with regard... to the painful plight... of comfort women...
was reached... in 2015.
But some scholars say... the agreement was flawed... from the start... and that... continued
DENIALS... from the Japanese government...
UNDERMINED... the SPIRIT of that accord.
Do you agree?
9) Professor Soeya...
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is likely... to attend... former Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe's funeral...
this week... which quite a few believe... is the least.. that can be done... by a neighboring
country... to comfort... a traumatized Japan... and convey...
its condolences.
That being said...
how does the untimely passing... of Mr. Abe... look to affect... Japan and its future policies?
10) Professor Lee... what are
your overall prospects...
with
regard to Seoul-Tokyo ties... under the
Yoon and Kishida administrations... and what are
some
of the variables... that look... to affect...
the two
countries'
future ties?