Moon decides not to visit Japan
Jul 20, 2021, 09:10 am
President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga/ Source: Yonhap
AsiaToday reporter Lee Jang-won
President Moon Jae-in has decided not to visit Japan on the occasion of the Tokyo Olympics. Differences of opinions on the agenda for the possible Korea-Japan summit and a Japanese minister’s ‘reckless remarks’ seem to have influenced Moon’s decision. As the first summit between President Moon and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been delayed, the pending issues between the two countries are expected to remain unsolved.
“President Moon has decided not to visit Japan,” Park Soo-hyun, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication, said in a briefing on Monday. Cheong Wa Dae has been keeping open the possibility of Moo visiting Japan until early Monday morning. “The president needs to think about taking a lonely path as president. He is trying to take a better path than an easy one,” Park said. However, the summit was canceled eventually.