RESTRICTED
064766
MOLIAN 0806
_CONOMIC RELATIONS
6.
HOSOKAWA AND KIM HAD AGREED ON THE NEED TO DEVELOP THE ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP ON THE BASIS OF ECONOMIC RATHER THAN POLITICAL LOGIC. ASKED TO EXPLAIN THIS FORMULA, FUJII SAID THAT BOTH SIDES (BUT PARTICULARLY THE KOREANS) HAD A TENDENCY TO TRY TO SOLVE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THROUGH POLITICAL INTERVENTION. THEY HAD, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PAST MADE FREQUENT RESORT TO TELEPHONE CALLS DIRECTLY FROM THE SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT TO THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER. THIS APPROACH TOOK NO ACCOUNT OF ECONOMIC REALITIES. IT WAS RECOGNISED THAT IN THE MID TO LONG-TERM THIS WOULD HINDER RATHER THAN HELP RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. JAPANESE BUSINESS IN PARTICULAR RESENTED THIS APPROACH. HOSOKAWA AND KIM AGREED TO RESPECT THE JOINT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THEM BY THE KEIDANREN AND ITS SOUTH KOREAN COUNTERPART ON 1 NOVEMBER.
INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGES
7.
HOSOKAWA AGREED TO EXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF SOUTH KOREAN STUDENTS STUDYING IN JAPAN. THE WIDER QUESTION OF DEVELOPING CULTURAL EXCHANGES WOULD BE DEALT WITH IN THE JAPAN/ROK FORUM RECENTLY ESTABLISHED BY A PRIVATE SECTOR
INITIATIVE.
MFA ASSESSMENT
8 =
BOTH NAKAMURA AND FUJII SAW THIS VISIT AS AN IMPORTANT TURNING POINT IN JAPAN/ROK RELATIONS. FUJII SAID THAT IT HAD ONLY BEEN SINCE THE FIRST INFORMAL SUMMIT (KYOTO, NOVEMBER 1992) THAT THE JAPANESE MFA HAD THOUGHT OF RELATIONS WITH SOUTH KOREA AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN A ZERO SUM GAME. NEVERTHELESS, FUJII INJECTED A NOTE OF CAUTION, SUGGESTING THAT IT MIGHT PROVE DIFFICULT TO FIND CONCRETE WAYS OF DEVELOPING COOPERATION, SOLVING TRADE PROBLEMS AND BUILDING UP INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGES. HE THOUGHT THERE WAS A RISK THAT UNLESS REASONABLY RAPID PROGRESS IN THESE AREAS WERE MADE THE EXPECTATIONS AROUSED BY THIS SUMMIT WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED. HE PROFESSED HIMSELF ASTONISHED AT THE FACT THAT EVEN THE SOUTH KOREAN PRESS HAD REPORTED THE VISIT SO FAVOURABLY.
COMMENT
9.
HOSOKAWA'S CLEAR APOLOGY ENHANCED BY HIS STYLE AND TRANSPARENT SINCERITY, HAVE GONE A LONG WAY TO HEAL THE LONG-STANDING WOUNDS IN THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. THOSE INJURIES WHICH CAN STILL BE
3
PAGE RESTRICTED
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.