■ Cast: Jeong Ok-im, former member of the Saenuri Party, Kim Jun-il, CEO of News Top
* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate content. Citation [YTN 뉴스LIVE] Please specify.
[앵커]
It is time to point out the key keywords of the political news. Today, two former Saenuri Party lawmakers Jeong Ok-im and Kim Jun-il, CEO of News Top, appeared. welcome. Let’s check the content of the first keyword. The rising sun flag may be caught once more. President Lee Jae-myung’s offensive on the South Korea-US-Japan exercise continues. If you go like this, you may get a rising sun flag on the Korean Peninsula. What do you think is the reason for continuing to raise this issue?
[정옥임]
Since the issue of Japan and Dokdo are very intertwined with domestic politics within Korea, I think that the intention to unite the supporters while stimulating these national emotions is partially reflected. Lee Jae-myung’s argument can be divided into three categories.
First of all, it’s regarding the Rising Sun Flag. There is no possibility that Japan will establish a presence on the Korean peninsula. when i see As someone who studied security. However, isn’t there a case of military training between South Korea, the United States, and Japan because military cooperation was already agreed upon during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and the Moon Jae-in administration?
And the Rising Sun Flag is quite sensitive. Because it is the Japanese imperialism flag. But the same goes for the Japanese flag. So, for example, is it okay to raise the Japanese flag when holding an international event or a meeting between Korea and Japan? That’s not it either. If you talk like that. Then there is the issue of Dokdo.
The question is why are you training close to Dokdo, but as far as I know, the South Korea-U.S.-Japan joint exercises were conducted on the high seas, 180km away from Dokdo and 120km off the coast of Japan. including anti-submarine training. However, in reality, that area is not our territorial waters. I did it on the high seas, but it spans the middle waters. Then who was the first president who agreed to the middle waters? If my memory is correct, the middle water zone was established during the Kim Dae-jung administration, and it is still there.
If the Democratic Party is so sensitive to Dokdo, and if it is Lee Jae-myung, then there was a time when China and Russia just invaded airspace over Dokdo during the Moon Jae-in administration. Also, there were times when I passed because it was an air defense identification zone. There was a time when Japan did not disclose it, but it became known because it was made public. So, if you are that sensitive to Dokdo, you have to ask yourself why they didn’t say anything regarding the actions of China and Russia during the Moon Jae-in administration.
Then there are concerns regarding the possibility of a military alliance between the US and Japan. But, as I said before, military cooperation is inevitable. The reason for this consolidation of South Korea-U.S.-Japan military cooperation is North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles. And because of this risk of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, we are trying to cooperate with Japan right now.
Because there are cases in which Japan can extract so-called cooperation from us in terms of intelligence or anti-submarine capabilities. This is why I am doing this because there is a fundamental foundation of the ROK-US alliance, but I would like to say that it is logically inappropriate to emphasize that it is going to the Korea-US-Japan military alliance once more.
[앵커]
I heard the explanation of our former lawmaker Jeong Ok-im, who is well versed in security. Now, the security battle is fierce, and in the power of the people, why are they doing the South Korea-U.S.-Japan exercises that the previous government did? What do you think?
[김준일]
First, let me tell you the history of fact-checking castles. This term is used confusingly. After all, military cooperation and military training are quite different. And if we go further, it is a military alliance, but the military alliance is said to be that even the Yun Seok-yeol administration is not a Korea-US-Japan military alliance, and what has happened in the past is that in 2016, during the Park Geun-hye administration, a military information protection agreement called GSOMIA was signed. in October 16.
Then, in January and March 2017, missile warning drills were conducted. South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are conducting missile warning drills together. Then they say that the missile warning training is a training together, but this is just an exchange of information. Each of us measured the information, so we did it following confirming that the missile was coming. Then the Moon Jae-in government came in and conducted missile detection exercises in September 2017.
Missile detection training is also classified as military training, but this is not a group exercise, but rather an exchange of information following each missile detection. Then, in April 2017, I did anti-submarine training and warships like now. anti-submarine training. And it’s been 5 years.
When is April 2017, before President Park Geun-hye was impeached and a new government was established. It was a political vacuum, in fact. So, this went as planned. In fact, back then, it was so cluttered that most people didn’t even know if it was happening or not, and now it’s not that simple. Of course, President Lee Jae-myung uses a very strong vocabulary, so this is a little problematic, pro-Japanese national defense, and extreme pro-Japanese national defense.
I have a question regarding whether I should even use such a word, but this is not a simple matter. If you are wondering why this is not a simple problem, you should also look at the current domestic situation in Japan as a whole. In the case of Japan now, following the last general election, the so-called constitutional amendment election is two-thirds. Those in favor of constitutional amendment now have a two-thirds majority.
But I didn’t do it because of the domestic situation. However, if the current peace law is amended, the Self-Defense Forces will become the military, and if it goes to the extent that the military can be dispatched to external disputed areas, Dokdo is a disputed area. From the Japanese point of view now. This means that we can send troops to Dokdo.
With all of these things comprehensive, the previous governments have not done military training too easily, but the Yun Seok-yeol administration told the government that there would be no South Korea-U.S.-Japan military exercises until the NATO summit in June until May of this year, without any special explanation. I did. But suddenly his attitude changed. So, in this area, the opposition party can sufficiently point out the problem. [앵커] It’s training, not cooperation, please explain this part.
[정옥임]
Japan is a very sensitive issue in history and politics, and if the controversy over this accelerates, the bamboo changga will be reproduced once more. Then, falling into that anti-Japanese swamp, it might lead to distortions like the current Yun Seok-yeol administration in such a strong alliance with the United States is very wrong.
It’s something you have to watch out for. It is true that we must be vigilant regarding the fact that Japan’s established rulers continue to turn to the right in terms of history and domestic politics as well. And following Abe’s death, Kishida now says that he will revise the Japanese constitution in order to consolidate his power. The defense capability has also improved, which is around 1% of Japan’s total GDP, but they openly say they will increase this to 2%.
Amending the Japanese Constitution, Article 9 of the Constitution, it’s just a matter of time, honestly. You talked regarding Dokdo in a realistic way. Regarding Dokdo, there is a very complicated diplomatic line. First, let me tell you regarding the Dokdo issue. During the Syngman Rhee administration, Dokdo was effectively controlled by making a so-called Nirain, and it was just ours.
In fact, we have an advantage. And if Japan plays a prank on Dokdo. If that happens, what kind of crisis Japan will face right now is that it is Senkaku Island, which Japan has effective control over. China is claiming sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands right now, saying that this is not Senkaku, but Daoyu Dao, it’s ours.
But Japan’s current relationship with Senkaku is the same as our relationship with Dokdo. Therefore, the moment Japan shows its ambition with Dokdo, Japan’s Senkaku becomes in danger immediately. So, a new Japanese prime minister or a U.S. president takes office? Then you call. leaders between the US and Japan. Then, the first thing that Japan gets confirmed is that I want the US to confirm that Senkaku is Japanese territory in the US-Japan alliance. So we have to make good use of it.
First of all, since it became our island during the Syngman Rhee government, while taking effective control of this island, it is something that Japan will not be swayed by such a target. Do you know what is most vulnerable in front of Japan right now? The fact that Japan participated in training in the sea 180km away from Dokdo is not our weakness, but the fact that we are divided in front of such Japan is a more vulnerable situation. And I fully understand that we now have a great sense of crisis because of Japan’s 36-year rule. Me too, emotionally.
But what is our status now? In terms of national power, the fact that Japan has already surpassed Japan in the per capita GDP purchasing power parity index appeared in an American journal recently, and Japan is rather surprised. With confidence, let’s not forget Japan’s anti-submarine patrol capabilities and intelligence capabilities. And who is providing an excuse for Japan to revise its constitution right now? North Korea’s Kim Jong-un regime.
Instead of the North Korean regime, the Kim Jong-un regime took the North Korean people hostage and made the Republic of Korea completely its own nuclear program. Why do you insist on tactical nuclear missiles? They say I’m going to hit you guys in South Korea. That’s why it’s a realistic eye right now in this regard. Why did the elites of the old Korean language eat up the country? After all, isn’t it because you didn’t have the ability and insight into international politics?
[앵커]
I’ll give you a brief rebuttal.
[김준일]
Rather than an objection, I generally agree. But, as I said before, it has changed drastically now. If you said that South Korea, the US and Japan were not going to do military training, then if you say that the international situation should be done now and that North Korea, China, Russia, and South Korea and the US should come together like this, explain it to the public and tell the opposition that we should do this because there are problems like this. There was no such process.
The Yoon Seok-yeol government is like this every day. And one more thing, what’s the problem now, where did you train here following doing it now? After the official announcement that Sea of Japan had trained in the Sea of Japan, it was also listed on the US website as Sea of Japan. But before that, it was announced that they had been training in the eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula. So, now, this should be seen as an indication of Japan’s ambition to some extent.
They always claim that there is the Sea of Japan. Why don’t these parts work properly? So this unnecessary misunderstanding becomes such a problem. So, the Yun Seok-Yeol administration should not only talk regarding North Korea unconditionally, but also talk regarding what it has to say to Japan and correct the things that it will correct.
[앵커]
Anyway, the presidential office is not talking regarding this controversy as much as possible, and today President Yoon Seok-yeol on his way to work is saying that it is not right for a political term or frame to intervene in such a joint exercise.
[정옥임]
Yes. Now, CEO Kim spoke so well that I wanted to even talk regarding it, but now he has said that. Because the more things like this happen, the more emotionally and politically the ruling party likes and dislikes it, the more it needs to be called and explained. Then CEO Jae-myung Lee will understand, he won’t. However, the procedure itself makes the people trust this government. It is because I now have the will to believe and follow.
The Sea of Japan was not made by Japan, but the US government misrepresented it, so it was called Sea of Japan, but it was quickly removed. Also, I said it was a middle water zone between Korea and Japan, but maybe the Sea of Japan is wrong somewhere, and Americans are not so knowledgeable regarding Korean issues. Who does that? Korean opposition parties, civic groups, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Find it and change it quickly. This is a very important point, and once it has changed, I confirm.
[앵커]
In any case, if there is a more detailed explanation from the presidential office’s point of view, these concerns and misunderstandings may not arise. It’s showing signs of rebounding. What factors do you think played a role?
[김준일]
If we substitute last week’s information into this opinion poll, it can be said that the audit of the Board of Audit and Inspection of the Board of Audit and Inspection of President Moon Jae-in once once more had the effect of mobilizing the camp. is going to go up. because we have to unite. So in such a situation, 31% and 32% are actually too low. They are still supporting conservatives. If it is to be said that there are no supporters on the moderate or progressive side, it is still difficult to see that it has risen in a very positive and meaningful way, and I think we will have to wait a little longer.
[앵커]
Whether it will be a rebound or a rebound sale, we will have to watch the trend a little more to know.
