A "pure gold calendar" is unveiled at jewellery store Ginza Tanaka in Tokyo's posh Ginza shopping district November 1, 2005. Weighing 5.5 kg and 67 x 42 cm in size, the calendar was created for display at this time of year when demand for calendars rises, and is priced at 20,060,000 yen ($171,853). REUTERS/Eriko Sugita



South Korea's diplomacy with Japan's turning rightist

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reshuffled the Cabinet and foreign diplomacy is predicted to turn conservative and rightist. Japanese neo-conservative and Minister of General Affairs Aso Daro, and chief secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party Abe Sinjo were nominated as the Foreign Minister and the Secretariat Minister respectively. Last September, thanks to a landslide victory in the general election in Japan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi nominated and positioned in the front line some members of his party who visited the Yasukuni Shrine.
It is shocking to some Koreans and Chinese that Koizumi reshuffled the Cabinet. Japan doesn't care about diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and "goes her own way."
At the beginning, some predicted that Japan would consider the positions of Korea and China. There was a rumor that Hukuda Yaseuo, ex-Minister of Secretariat, would be nominated as a member of the Cabinet, but Koizumi's intention was far from it. The two high officials who were nominated have said absurd things and have caused some trouble. The personnel administration for the "post Koizumi" empowered them. Aso is a rightist who usually says absurd things, such as, "Changing Korean names into Japanese names was done by Koreans themselves." Abe is a sponsor who helped to design the distorted history books. Although he said, "The issue of comfort women is not true", he is supposed to be next prime minister.

Japan seems to be overwhelmed by a wild wave of rightists. It is predicted that Japan will have worse diplomatic troubles with Korea and China. It is very discouraging that Japan's diplomacy with Korea is going on the wrong track. Some Koreans feel sorry that this is happening while South Korea is preparing for meetings of APEC and six party-talks. South Korea should be as wise as Solomon to solve the diplomatic troubles.
/ 입력시간: 2005. 11.02. 08:50