(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Jan. 13) - Just another summit

"A mature, future-oriented partnership means we should meet or talk on the phone
even when there are no particular issues."
So said Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan before holding a meeting with President
Lee Myung-bak Monday, best summing up his two-day visit to Korea, including their
hour-long summit. President Lee, noting he and his Japanese counterpart have met
five times since October, also said the "shuttle summit" has taken firm root.
Actually, the relationship between Korea and Japan appears to be in its best
shape in a decade. The two leaders have much in common: They are of the same age,
managed business enterprises before jumping into politics, and are conservative
??? and very wealthy ??? politicians. Most importantly, both are reeling under
approval ratings of slightly over 20 percent.
As such, it was understandable they avoided thorny historical and territorial
issues and focused their attention instead on economic cooperation, such as how
to jointly weather the global financial turmoil and worldwide recession.
Even in these discussions, however, there were disappointingly little substantive
results but for the numerously repeated ??? yet unimplemented ??? pledge to try
to address the ever-widening trade imbalance between the two countries.
Little surprise that the interests of diplomatic onlookers are not in what has
been discussed but in what has not. Asked about issues concerning the two
counties' past history, they said, almost in unison, both Seoul and Tokyo would
"look squarely at the past and share visions for the future."
A day before Premier Aso left Tokyo, however, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that
the Japanese government was working out a 10-year maritime development program,
which would include areas close to the disputed Dokdo islets.
Although a Japanese Foreign Ministry official denied the report as mistaken,
Seoul should have demanded an explanation on at least a ministerial level on this
occasion.
Even while the Japanese premier was in Seoul, some Korean media outlets also
reported that they have discovered two additional ??? and more recently-dated ???
Japanese government ordinances that excluded the volcanic outcroppings in the sea
between the two countries from its territory.
All this brings forth a time-old question of whether Tokyo is really facing the
facts as they are. We are not saying Korea and Japan ??? and China for that
matter ??? should perennially remain as captives of the past, which has kept them
from moving forward by forging closer regional cooperation.
Some Japanese, particularly the younger generations, appear to be annoyed with
what they see as endless demands from Seoul and Beijing for a "genuine" apology
for wartime crimes and atrocities.
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, who visited Tokyo in 1991, gave a good answer
to all these questions. At a dinner hosted by Japanese Emperor Akihito, the Dutch
monarch said, "We cannot get away from the memory of that war," citing the
casualties of her country with a specific number.
True, no amount of pragmatism can lead to a constructive future without being
armed with sufficient historical consciousness and philosophy.
Some Japanese governmental and private institutions are reportedly busy preparing
historical logic on the occasion of the centenary of Japan's annexation of Korea.
It's quite doubtful whether Seoul is making similar efforts.
Shuttle diplomacy, unlike the officials of the two governments use the two words,
originally means a third party intermediating between two estranged countries.
Seoul and Tokyo should genuinely face up to their history, lest they should need
shuttle diplomacy in its correct meaning some day.
(END)