2019: Abe's refusal to engage with S.Korea

Security in East Asia  -  China - USA - Japan - Korea - Taiwan
Source:  Hankyoreh. 27.08.2019

“Abe’s refusal to engage with S. Korea marks end of Japan’s status as peaceful country,” says Haruki Wada

Japanese historian delivers keynote address at academic conference titled “South Korea-Japan Relations: Beyond ‘Anti-Japan’ and ‘Anti-Korea’”

Haruki Wada, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, came out in strong criticism of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his policy of not playing nice with South Korea.

Wada voiced his concerns during the keynote address at an academic conference on Japan held at the conference room of the building of the Korea Federation of Banks, in Seoul, on Aug. 26, which was organized by the Institute for Japanese Studies, at Seoul National University.

“Recently, experts on Japan and government officials have been saying that the 38th parallel is being drawn across the East Sea and that Japan needs to be ready to isolate South Korea and even cut off relations with it. That would mean the dissolution of Japan’s ties in Northeast Asia and the establishment of a maritime bloc between Japan, Taiwan, and the US in opposition to China, Russia, South Korea, and North Korea. In short, Abe’s policy of not dealing with South Korea spells the end of Japan as a peaceful state,” Wada said during the address. ...

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