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日韓外相会談 関係改善への道筋が見えない

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 30, 2013
Tokyo, Seoul must find ways to move ties forward despite pending problems
日韓外相会談 関係改善への道筋が見えない(9月29日付・読売社説)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has not had summit talks with South Korean President Park Geun Hye, who took office in February, and there is no plan for such talks in the near future. How can the two countries solve this abnormal situation? The attitudes and capabilities of the Japanese and South Korean leaders as well as of their nations’ foreign ministries are being put to the test.
 2月の朴槿恵韓国大統領の就任以来、一度も首脳会談が開かれず、見通しさえ立たない。この異常事態をどう打開するのか。日韓両国首脳と外交当局の姿勢と力量が問われる。

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his South Korean counterpart, Yun Byung Se, held a meeting in New York and agreed that their countries will continue dialogue on different levels.
 岸田外相と韓国の尹炳世外交相がニューヨークで会談し、今後も「様々なレベルの意思疎通を続ける」ことで一致した。

However, Yun stressed that South Korea expects the Japanese leadership to have the courage to heal the wounds of the past. Kishida responded that the Abe Cabinet has followed the views of past governments on historical issues and urged South Korea to understand this position.
 尹外相は「過去の傷を治癒する勇気ある指導力を期待する」と強調した。岸田外相は「安倍内閣は歴史認識に関する歴代内閣の立場を引き継いでいる。しっかり受け止めてほしい」と応じた。

The two could not make any tangible progress toward realization of a bilateral summit meeting, the most important issue. We think the result was truly regrettable.
 ただ、肝心の首脳会談の実現に向けた具体的な進展はなかった。残念な結果である。

It is noteworthy that the two countries failed to agree on various other issues.
 個別案件でも、両国の主張が平行線をたどる場面が目立った。

For instance, Kishida asked Yun to lift South Korea’s import ban on fishery products from Fukushima Prefecture and surrounding areas. “Japan will thoroughly deal with water contaminated with radioactive substances at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and continue providing relevant information,” Kishida said. However, Yun only explained the background of the import ban.
 韓国による福島県などの水産物輸入禁止について、岸田外相は「(原発の)汚染水対策に万全を期し、情報提供を行う」として禁輸の撤廃を要請した。尹外相は禁輸の経緯を説明するにとどめた。

The Japanese government imposes limits on radioactive substances in food that are stricter than international standards. Though the leakage of contaminated water at the plant has affected sales of South Korean fishery products, the South Korean government’s reaction is excessive and has little scientific basis. We hope it will prudently move toward lifting the import ban.
 日本は、国際基準より厳しい放射性物質の規制を食品全般に課している。韓国産水産物の売り上げに影響が出た事情があるにせよ、韓国の措置は、科学的根拠に乏しい過剰反応だ。禁輸撤廃へ、冷静な対応を取ってもらいたい。

Settled by 1965 accord

Recently, a high court in Seoul approved damage claims by South Koreans who had been forced to work for Japanese companies during wartime and ordered the descendant company to pay compensation to the plaintiffs. Kishida told Yun that South Korea should act on the basis of the bilateral agreement on property claims and economic cooperation that was reached when the two countries concluded a treaty to normalize relations in 1965. However, the South Korean foreign minister only replied that the trial was still in progress.
 韓国の高裁で元徴用工への日本企業の賠償を命じる判決が出たことに関して、岸田外相は、日韓請求権協定に基づく「適切な対応」を求めた。尹外相は「裁判が進行中だ」と語るだけだった。

The 1965 accord stipulates that the issue of damage claims for individual South Koreans was “resolved completely and finally.” If this issue is left unresolved, similar rulings will be repeatedly made, worsening the situation.
 韓国人の個人賠償については、1965年の国交正常化時の請求権協定が「完全かつ最終的に解決された」と定めている。このまま放置すれば、同様の判決が相次ぎ、事態をより悪化させよう。

This problem may cast doubt on South Korea’s status as a nation ruled by law. The South Korean government should take forward-looking action to settle this issue.
 法治国家としての信用にも関わる問題だ。韓国政府には、前向きな対応が求められる。

Meanwhile, Yun again urged Japan to solve the issue of the so-called comfort women.
 尹外相は、いわゆる元従軍慰安婦問題について、日本が解決に努力するよう改めて促した。

However, this issue, too, has already been settled by the 1965 accord. We do not think the government should easily make concessions on this matter.
 だが、この問題も本来、請求権協定で解決済みであり、日本は安易な譲歩をすべきでない。

It is disturbing to see that the momentum and willingness to improve bilateral ties are diminishing within the Japanese and South Korean governments.
 気がかりなのは、日韓両政府内で、関係改善への機運や意欲が減退しつつあることだ。

Today, Japan and South Korea have many significant issues to tackle jointly, such as the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, where preparations to restart a graphite-moderated reactor are becoming evident, as well as negotiations on free trade pacts between Japan and South Korea, and among the two countries and China.
 黒鉛減速炉の再稼働の動きが顕在化している北朝鮮の核問題や、日韓・日中韓の自由貿易協定交渉など、日韓両国が今、連携して取り組むべき重要課題は多い。

It is important for Tokyo and Seoul to continue dialogue patiently from a broader perspective and try seriously to find common ground, even though the two countries have complicated bilateral problems that cannot be solved immediately.
 簡単には解決できない懸案を抱えていても、日韓双方が大局的見地から粘り強く対話を重ね、真剣に接点を探る努力が重要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 29, 2013)
(2013年9月29日01時47分 読売新聞)
by kiyoshimat | 2013-10-01 10:52 | 英字新聞

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