Archive
World Ch. Schedule : FRI 20:30 KST
* Date : 2019-07-29
While the relationship between S. Korea and Japan seems to be plunging to a new low every day, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono stirred controversy when he interrupted South Korean Ambassador Nam Gwan-pyo while his comments were being translated during their meeting on July 20th. During a press conference after the meeting, Kono, regarding the forced labor issue, said that the South Korean government is subverting the world order established since the World War II. South Korea quickly fired back with a statement saying Japan violated international law by conducting anti-humanitarian illegal activities. Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling bloc has won a solid majority in Japan’s upper house election, making it more challenging for the bilateral relationship to see resolution anytime soon.
The escalating bilateral tension is gaining the world’s attention, as it has been named a formal agenda item of the WTO General Council convened on July 23rd. U.S. President Donald Trump also shared his remarks on the issue for the first time. With the Seoul-Tokyo rift expected to protract longer, the big question is whether the U.S. will mediate the conflict or not. This week’s episode will cover all these issues through discussions with local and Japanese experts.

