Proposal Stirred Korea and Japan Summit Conference
President Roh Moo Hyun stated, “It could be considered to call the East Sea either the Sea of Peace or the Sea of Friendship,” at a Korean and Japanese summit meeting last November, though the suggestion may create some trouble.
Roh attended the APEC summit conference which was held in Hanoi, Vietnam on November 18 last year. Official records were checked on January 8 confirming that the president made the comment concerning a solution of a long standing problem between Korea and Japan. They argue over the name of the East Sea. He said, “Considering the developmental relationship between the two countries, it would be good to have a new name like the Sea of Peace, instead of having the East Sea or the Sea of Japan."
Officials at the presidential residence of the Republic of Korea checked and said, “It is true that President Roh mentioned such as the above to Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo at the Korean and Japanese summit conference. Nevertheless, it is not an official comment. It was just an example of the need to alter recognition and conception, of ‘Let’s solve the outstanding questions of the two nations in a broad level'.”
At the time, Roh offered such a suggestion while he was explaining it was not an official proposal and it was just an idea. However, Japanese officials were distracted by the president’s comment and responded, “It is a matter to think over and over with plenty of time,” avoiding a direct answer.
Moreover, the words from the president at that moment had not gone through prior discussions with lines of diplomatic relations and security boards including Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential residence) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It was only a sudden comment by the president. Now the situation is revealed to the public and some criticism will come, like, “It is a thoughtless remark of President Roh without undergoing public opinion about the sharp diplomatic questions that are pending.”
Following that situation, other disputes on the Sea of Peace did not arise at the Korean and Japanese Foreign Ministers Meeting which was held on December 27.
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 / 입력시간: 2007. 01.09. 09:00
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