Abe's new Cabinet

Seoul-Tokyo ties feared to aggravate further

Last week's Cabinet reshuffle by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is raising concerns that he is moving Japan further to the right because he appointed his conservative allies as ministers. By filling most of the lineup with hard-liners, Abe is likely to keep or toughen his strong position in the ongoing trade dispute with South Korea.

The reshuffle came less than two months after Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party failed to win a two-thirds majority in the Upper House election in July. This has drawn much attention as Abe continues to express his intention of pressing ahead with a revision to the nations' postwar pacifist Constitution to make Japan a "normal" country that can wage war with others.

It is certain that Abe wants to lay the groundwork for a constitutional amendment. He also intends to create a competition for prime minister hopefuls to succeed him when his term as LDP chief ends in September 2021. He is likely to make efforts to maintain his influence after his retirement.

Led by its right-wing Cabinet members, the Abe government appears likely to at least keep its policy of playing hardball with South Korea over expanding export restrictions. In July, Tokyo imposed export curbs on three key materials which are essential for Korean firms producing semiconductors and display panels. Then last month, Japan removed Korea from its "whitelist" of favored trade partners, making it harder for Japanese companies to export industrial materials and parts, especially dual-purpose ones, to Korea.

Abe's new Cabinet is also irritating South Koreans because it is filled with his right-wing allies who have been trying to gloss over Japan's colonialism and militarism. one of them is Koichi Hagiuda, who was named minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology. Hagiuda had drawn criticism for delivering Abe's tribute to the Yasukuni Shine, a symbol of Japan's militarism, which honors Japanese war dead including 14 Class-A war criminals.

Haguida also denigrated the so-called Kono Statement which was issued by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono in 1993 to acknowledge the Japanese military's forceful mobilization of sex slaves for frontline troops during World War II. We cannot help but question his qualifications because he could spread his revisionist views to "beautify" Japan's disgraced past.

Another controversial figure is Shinjiro Koizumi who has become new environment minister. Koizumi, one of the favorites to succeed Abe, invited the ire of Koreans for visiting Yasukuni Shrine on the 74th anniversary of Japan's defeat in 1945. Foreign Minister Taro Kono, who has taken a strong stance in the trade row with Korea, was appointed as defense minister. Kono is expected to lead Japan's security and diplomatic policy along with new Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.

The Moon Jaein administration should review its policy toward Japan as Tokyo is feared to take a more aggressive stance on the trade friction and historical issues such as wartime forced labor and sex slavery. We urged Japan to stop glossing over its shameful past.