Press Conference, 25 June 2009

President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea to visit Japan
Foreign Minister Nakasone to attend OECD Council Meeting at the Ministerial Level and G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting
Questions concerning President Lee's visit to Japan
Questions concerning the POW issue

I. President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea to visit Japan

Deputy Press Secretary Yasuhisa Kawamura: Welcome to part II of the conference. Let me start with a brief sketch of the diplomatic schedule of this week and beyond.

The first is the Japan Korea summit meeting. On Sunday, the 28th, Japan will receive His Excellency Mr. Lee Myung-bak, President of Republic of Korea to hold a summit meeting with Prime Minister Taro Aso in Tokyo. This will be the 8th meeting between Prime Minister Taro Aso and President Lee Myung-bak. We expect that this round of the "Shuttle Diplomacy" will further strengthen the matured partnership between the two countries.

II. Foreign Minister Nakasone to attend OECD Council Meeting at the Ministerial Level and G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting

The second item is the OECD Council Meeting at the Ministerial Level, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone is attending the OECD Council Meeting at the Ministerial Level in Paris today the 25th. The Foreign Minister will leave after the OECD Meeting from Paris for Trieste, Italy, this morning to attend the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the G8 will continue up until the 27th.

At the OECD, the Council Meeting at the Ministerial Level is expected to address key policy responses to restore financial stability and sustainable growth. Japan foresees the world economy after the crisis and at the OECD Council meeting Japan will encourage the "green growth" initiative through positive investments and innovation.

At the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting Japan expects that salient issues such as North Korea, non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy, Afghanistan/Pakistan and piracy will be addressed.

That was a sketch of the events coming up. Do you have any questions?

Related Information (Press Release)

III. Questions concerning President Lee's visit to Japan

Q: I would like to know a little bit more about Mr. Aso and Mr. Lee's meeting. What are some possible topics that could be discussed?

Mr. Kawamura: This is a kind of continuation of, as I said, "Shuttle Diplomacy." As you may well know, "Shuttle Diplomacy" means that each leader should visit each other's nation at least once a year. You may recall Prime Minister Aso visited South Korea this past January and discussed a variety of issues including, of course, North Korea, economic relations including the EPA, personal exchanges, and global issues such as the joint efforts in Afghanistan and others. It may be inappropriate to prejudge all the issues at this moment since the two top leaders will decide what to discuss when they meet. But we might see the summit meeting of this weekend as a kind of continuation of the "Shuttle Diplomacy" and we may expect the issues to be referred to in that regard.

Q: Are you expecting any statement to come out or press conferences to take place?

Mr. Kawamura: In the last round in Seoul we had a press conference to follow the meeting. It is quite common to hold one at the Prime Minister's Office. So I expect one also this time. But I will check and formally announce it later.

Q: Are they likely to sign any statements this time?

Mr. Kawamura: We will confirm it and let you know.

Q: Also, I heard that besides meeting Mr. Aso, is there anything else that Mr. Lee is going to be doing after?

Mr. Kawamura: For example?

Q: For instance, meeting business leaders? Will there be a business delegation coming with Mr. Lee this time?

Mr. Kawamura: That is a good question because Mr. Aso was accompanied by Japanese business leaders on his trip to Korea. And this is happening this time, to the best of my knowledge. Let me check this and let you know.

IV. Questions concerning the POW issue

Q: If other people have any questions directly related to today's issue, I have some completely different questions.

Mr. Kawamura: Any questions, please.

Q: I would like to ask about the POW issues. One, about the official apology, so-called, by Ambassador Fujisaki in the US in the end of May; The apology was a so-called official apology from the Japanese Government, but is it projected only for Bataan and Corregidor? Because he came over to the convention and made the apology. Also, how serious is the Japanese government's thinking about their demand which is educating Japanese young people to know what happened about POWs and also the program exchange inviting them, because Americans were excluded. The program covering Dutch, Australian, British POWs, inviting them to Japan and let them visit camps they used to be in. Those are two questions about the Fujisaki apology.

The second question is about very recently a POW from Australia and the son of a POW from Scotland who were made use of in the Aso mines visited. Prime Minister Aso did not meet them, he refused to meet them. What is the real reason he did not meet them?

Mr. Kawamura: Before I forget, let me start with the last question.

Q: OK.

Mr. Kawamura: Those people visited Tokyo and requested a meeting with Prime Minister Aso. The meeting did not take place. You are asking me about the reasons, but I am not the right person to respond directly to that question, why the meeting did not take place.

Q: But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered to meet instead.

Mr. Kawamura: Right, exactly, but unfortunately, this proposed meeting did not take place.

I am going to touch upon the basic stance of the Japanese Government regarding the POWs. All the actions and the Japanese treatment of the POWs should be understood in the context of Japan's post-war announcements which clarify its official stance. As you recall, former Prime Minister Murayama expressed very clearly that we had a sense of remorse and apology for the conducts of what Japan did during World War II.

Regarding the government to government relations, we think that the issues related to World War II have been legally settled. This stance together with the feeling of the Government and the people of Japan has been expressed by our leaders in the past.

The first question about Ambassador Fujisaki's statement should also be seen from the Japanese Government's fundamental stance concerning the World War II and the apology and feeling of remorse that should be applied to the case of Japan-Philippines relations during World War II. I understand Ambassador Fujisaki expressed his feeling in line with the above mentioned official Japan-Philippines relations.

There are two more questions about Ambassador Fujisaki's case, education and Dutch and other countries' invitation programs, I will come back to you. I need to do some research on this.

Q: About the second question, if the Foreign Minister tried to meet them instead of the Prime Minister...

Mr. Kawamura: The Foreign Ministry, not the Foreign Minister, I think.

Q: The Foreign Ministry, yes. How were you planning to explain to them the reason that you did not prepare any explanation why the Prime Minister could not see them or did not want to see them or whatever? Or did you try to repeat what you have just explained?

Mr. Kawamura: Well, it is really hard for me to predict what exactly happened in the conversation particularly with visitors and our officials. But I want to stress that we like to see those people with sincere minds and that we would be prepared to listen carefully to what they would comment on. I think a sincere dialogue should help retain trust.

Q: May I ask which section is planning to meet them? Who is going to meet them?

Mr. Kawamura: I will come back to you because this issue is related to not one but more than two divisions or bureaus.

Q: It would be very nice if I could know who is going to see them.

Mr. Kawamura: Yes, I will come back to you.

Any other questions? Thank you very much.

Back to Index