President Yoon Seok-yeol gave a 23-minute talk at the cabinet meeting on the 21st regarding the need to restore Korea-Japan relations. His speech was not only a summary of the history of Korea-Japan relations, but also contained various figures. This time, unlike other State Council meetings, President Yoon’s remarks drew attention as they were made in the form of a discourse to the people.
Before his visit to Japan, President Yoon made a decision to persuade the public regarding the reason for restoring Korea-Japan relations. Negative public opinion on the restoration of Korea-Japan relations was high following the visit, so the need for a message to the public increased. President Yoon worked on the message himself throughout the weekend, and the length of the manuscript increased to more than 20 minutes.
The manuscript contained specific figures and speeches from former presidents balanced between the camps, and President Yoon expressed strong concern regarding the use of anti-Japanese sentiment in politics. He also mentioned that he was embarrassed to hear that the leadership of Japan’s largest opposition party was planning to visit Korea soon and persuade Korean opposition lawmakers.
Overall, President Yoon wanted to send a message to the people himself, as the trend of emotional approach to Korea-Japan relations continued to go beyond the limit.
尹 Background of ’23 Minute Talk to the People’
After the tour, I polished the stationery all weekend
The length of the manuscript is also increased by 15 minutes.
Hardened in the offensive of ‘pro-Japanese diplomacy’
Japanese opposition party visits Korea and mentions persuasion of democracy
尹 “I was ashamed to hear that.”
President Yoon Seok-yeol’s remarks at the cabinet meeting on the 21st, which emphasized the need to restore Korea-Japan relations, lasted for regarding 23 minutes, with details that were no different from summarizing the ‘history of Korea-Japan relations’ and various figures.
Normally, all remarks at the State Council meeting are in the nature of a request or instruction to the member of the State Council, but this time, all remarks drew attention as they were made in the form of a ‘discourse to the people’, such as referring to ‘the people’.
According to the presidential office, President Yoon made a decision to persuade the public even before his visit to Japan. A high-ranking official in the presidential office told the Seoul Shinmun on the 22nd, “I tried to explain to the public the reason for restoring Korea-Japan relations before the visit, but I decided it would be better to explain the results of the visit to Japan following the visit.” In particular, in an opinion poll conducted following the visit, negative public opinion on the restoration of Korea-Japan relations was high, and the need for a message to the public increased even more.
President Yoon worked on the message himself throughout the weekend, and the length of the manuscript, originally expected to be 15 minutes, increased to more than 20 minutes. According to President Yoon’s instructions, the manuscript contained specific figures such as ‘the overseas joint project promoted by Korean and Japanese companies is estimated at 270 trillion won’, and former President Park Chung-hee’s speech to the public at the time of normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan in 1965 and former President Kim Dae-jung’s 1998 speeches to the Japanese parliament were all included and balanced between the camps.
In particular, it is said that the opposition’s’pro-Japanese diplomacy’ offensive made President Yoon more determined by sending a message to the people himself. Another official in the presidential office said, “There was definitely a trend of emotional approach to Korea-Japan relations, and above all, the offensive of critics centered on the opposition party continued to go beyond the limit.” I thought I needed a persuasive message,” he said. As if targeting the opposition the day before, President Yoon expressed strong concern regarding the use of anti-Japanese sentiment in politics, saying, “There are forces in our society that seek political gain while shouting for exclusive nationalism and anti-Japanese.”
President Yoon is also reported to have said at a cabinet meeting that he was “embarrassed to hear such a story” when the leadership of Japan’s largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, mentioned during his visit to Japan that he would “visit Korea soon and persuade Korean opposition lawmakers.” Another official said, “It is unfortunate that the Korean opposition party only opposes it.”
Reporter Ahn Seok
In conclusion, President Yoon Seok-yeol’s 23-minute talk to the people regarding the restoration of Korea-Japan relations highlighted the need for diplomacy and understanding between the two countries. His message was not only a summary of the history of Korea-Japan relations but also included specific figures and balanced perspectives from both sides. President Yoon’s decision to address the public directly was influenced by the negative public opinion towards the restoration of the diplomatic relationship between Korea and Japan. His posture towards the opposition was clear, as he expressed his concerns regarding the use of anti-Japanese sentiment in politics. Ultimately, his message to the people carried a persuasive energy that aimed to provide clarity and understanding towards the restoration of Korea-Japan relations.
