Three days ago, it was 22 June. This was a day when many historic events took place. Napoleon crossed the border to invade Russia in 1812. Hitler also attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. More recently and nearer our home, the Foreign Minister of South Korea came to Tokyo on this day in 1965, and gave his signature to the Treaty normalizing the relations between the two countries. The media in Japan, and in South Korea also, widely covered the fiftieth anniversary of this Treaty.
But the media, at least in Japan, has scarcely covered the 65th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War, which falls on this day, 25 June 1950, no less important than the signing of the above Treaty, to the peace and prosperity of the Far East. The War ended in 1953, but only by an Armistice, and not by a Peace Treaty. The Armistice was signed by North Korea, China which fought side by side with North Korea, and the US which fought on the South Korean side, but not by South Korea. In that sense, we have been living in a war situation ever since.
We will not go into the controversy here of which started the War, as both sides were trigger-happy at the time. Instead, we would like to propose that each should immediately set up an official Mission in the other's capital, with a seasoned Ambassador-class diplomat as its head, on the understanding that it will be elevated to the Embassy status in two years. Both the nations will be pressed to make a real endeavour to solve the standing issues between them in these two years, like the nuclear weapons and missiles, economic cooperation, railways connectivity, meeting of the dispersed relatives, and so on. They should make it sure to send a united team to the Tokyo Olympics to be held in 2020.
Japan, in the meantime, cannot afford to be idle. She is responsible for the division of Korea into two, initially by the 38ｔｈ Parallel, by delaying in accepting the Potsdam Declaration. It is true that the US and the Soviets both brought in their own puppets and gave them wide powers in their respective zones, but that was possible as there was the line drawn already. Above all Japan should try to set up diplomatic relations with the North. by putting into practice more or less the same measures as mentioned above.
But the media, at least in Japan, has scarcely covered the 65th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War, which falls on this day, 25 June 1950, no less important than the signing of the above Treaty, to the peace and prosperity of the Far East. The War ended in 1953, but only by an Armistice, and not by a Peace Treaty. The Armistice was signed by North Korea, China which fought side by side with North Korea, and the US which fought on the South Korean side, but not by South Korea. In that sense, we have been living in a war situation ever since.
We will not go into the controversy here of which started the War, as both sides were trigger-happy at the time. Instead, we would like to propose that each should immediately set up an official Mission in the other's capital, with a seasoned Ambassador-class diplomat as its head, on the understanding that it will be elevated to the Embassy status in two years. Both the nations will be pressed to make a real endeavour to solve the standing issues between them in these two years, like the nuclear weapons and missiles, economic cooperation, railways connectivity, meeting of the dispersed relatives, and so on. They should make it sure to send a united team to the Tokyo Olympics to be held in 2020.
Japan, in the meantime, cannot afford to be idle. She is responsible for the division of Korea into two, initially by the 38ｔｈ Parallel, by delaying in accepting the Potsdam Declaration. It is true that the US and the Soviets both brought in their own puppets and gave them wide powers in their respective zones, but that was possible as there was the line drawn already. Above all Japan should try to set up diplomatic relations with the North. by putting into practice more or less the same measures as mentioned above.
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