(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Sept. 24)

Another Japanese premier: Tokyo should be keenly aware of neighbors' concerns

It is with more concern than expectation that most Koreans watch Taro Aso take office as Japan's new prime minister today.
The 68-year-old president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is currently the
most popular politician in the conservative LDP, which has governed Japan almost
uninterruptedly over the past 53 years, for his straightforward, pragmatic
leadership.
When directed abroad, however, the same strength turns into a weakness, which has
produced a number of "absurd remarks," offending the sentiments of neighboring
countries.
To sum up, Aso is a strong defender of colonialism as benefiting the colonized:
So Koreans voluntarily made new Japanese names and Taiwan's economic development
today is due to Japan's compulsory education system in the first half of the 20th
century. He cast aside the U.S. Congress' resolution denouncing sex slavery of
foreign women by the Imperialist Army during World War II as not based on facts.
Aso also called for Emperor Akihito to pay tribute at the Yasukuni Shrine, while
asking why Japan should not discuss the possession of nuclear weapons.
Reflecting widespread concerns in Seoul about the new Japanese leader leaning
further to the right, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said, ``We expect the
Japanese cabinet formed by the new prime minister will face history as it is and
make efforts to establish a future-oriented relationship between the two
countries."
With another general election just a few months away, Aso may end up as the prime
minister with the shortest tenure in history or even one forced to put an end to
the LDP's more than half century of virtual one-party rule. Given Aso's
popularity here, not many Koreans are likely to feel sad if this becomes a
reality.
Aside from the fact that not diplomacy but domestic affairs, including the
economy, determine the elections, however, the Japanese are a very peculiar ???
if not the only ??? people in the world who have let the same political party run
them since the mid-1950s. For foreigners, Japan seems like a country with no
politics ??? at least not in the way most other countries see them ??? but only
factional power brokering. A change of political power means that of the LDP
presidency.
Japan watchers say Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, would
run the country somewhat differently if he wins the election, as shown by his
diplomatic policy that put importance on Asia and his calls for removing the
remains of Class A war criminals from the memorial for fallen soldiers.
For Japan's neighbors, however, the difference between the two politicians may
not be so big, as it is Ozawa who first called for constitutional revision to
allow Japan to have a regular army.
No foreign country can blame Japan for wanting to return to being a "normal"
country. Just as Germany's political leaders have based the country's rebirth on
complete severance from the Nazi era, however, all Japanese leaders need to
unequivocally make clear their country's break from its imperialistic past.
Some diplomatic watchers pin hopes on the new Japanese premier, as he showed far
greater diplomatic flexibility than expected as foreign minister. They will know
before long whether Aso's performance was genuine or tactical.
After all, bilateral relations can't become much worse than now, after hitting
rock-bottom over the Dokdo islets under former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, a
foreign policy dove.
(END)