Time to find an exit

Korea, Japan should look for negotiated solution

Prime Minister Lee Nakyon is scheduled to begin a three-day visit to Tokyo on Tuesday to attend Japanese Emperor Naruhito's coronation. Lee's visit is drawing attention because he is expected to try to break the ice in the frosty relations between Korea and Japan.

Lee will be the highest-level Korean official to visit our Asian neighbor since Tokyo began restrictive trade measures against Seoul in July. Japan imposed export restrictions on three key materials essential for Korean firms making semiconductors and display panels. It also removed Korea from its "whitelist" of favored trading partners in August. These measures were in apparent retaliation for Korea's top court ruling that Japanese firms should compensate Korean victims of forced labor during World War II.

His visit to Japan is to congratulate Emperor Naruhito on his coronation and the start of the "Reiwa Era." More importantly, Lee is expected to deliver a personal letter from President Moon Jaein to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their planned meeting Thursday. The letter is likely to contain Moon's proposal to resume top-level dialogue to find a solution to the trade and diplomatic disputes between the countries.

In this context, expectations are growing ― particularly among South Koreans ― that Lee's visit will be a turning point in the frayed Seoul-Tokyo ties. one of the most viable options is for Moon and Abe to hold a summit to discuss how to resolve historical issues such as wartime forced labor and end the trade friction. The foreign ministers of both countries have so far failed to narrow differences over the thorny issues. This is why the top leaders should engage in summitry to tackle the problems.

Regrettably, the Abe administration has repeatedly turned down Seoul's offer to hold a summit. Instead, Japan has continued to demand Korea reverse the forced labor ruling. Tokyo argues that all reparation claims for damage caused by Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea were settled by the 1965 bilateral treaty that normalized diplomatic relations.

But now, Abe appears to be showing signs of easing his hardline stance. During an Upper House budget committee session Wednesday, he said he does not intend to "shut down dialogue" with Korea which he called an "important neighboring country."

It is still too early to tell if the Japanese nationalist leader is ready to shift from confrontation to dialogue. Yet we hope Abe will respond positively to Seoul's continued efforts for a negotiated solution. He should realize a tit-for-tat trade war does more harm than good. It is up to him whether the two countries are headed for self-destruction or co-prosperity.

Some experts suggest that Japan lift its export curbs and put Korea back on the whitelist in return for Seoul retracting its decision to end amilitary intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo. As for the force labor issue, corporations of both countries could jointly create a fund to compensate the victims.

At stake is whether Abe is willing to accept Seoul's offer of dialogue. Both sides need to find an exit before it is too late. Korea and Japan have more to gain from cooperating in diplomacy, trade and security than to fight over fraught history and for narrow-minded nationalism.