The following is from Yoshiko Sakurai's serial column in the last of Shukan Shincho, published on March 16.
This article also proves that she is a national treasure, a supreme national treasure defined by Saicho.
It is a must-read not only for the Japanese but also for people worldwide, and is a must-read, especially for the Democratic Party of the United States.
Japanese and American citizens who read this paper will be astonished to learn that the old media does not report the facts or even have the ability to investigate the facts.
Japan and South Korea Have Many Problems, But Why Are They Still Improving?
This week, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will visit Japan.
He is coming to Japan with a proposal for a solution to the problem of wartime Korean laborers, which has plunged Japan-Korea relations to their lowest point since the end of World War II.
It was in October 2018 that the Grand Court of South Korea ruled in a ridiculous decision that the mobilization of wartime Korean workers was an "anti-humanitarian tort" and that they should pay amnesty fees.
The Japanese side reacted furiously, and the Yoon administration, inaugurated in May 2022, proposed a solution in which the Japanese side would not seek a new apology or compensation. Still, the Korean side would pay and then come to Japan to restore Japan-Korea relations.
From a strategic standpoint, closer relations between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea are essential as the nuclear threat from China and North Korea grows daily.
Yoon's visit to Japan is meaningful in this regard.
However, too many important issues still need to be resolved between Japan and South Korea.
While cooperation between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea is essential as a grand strategy, this does not mean that Japan should be allowed to get caught up in the pace of South Korea's desire to restore relations and ignore individual problems.
The biggest issue between Japan and South Korea is the radar irradiation problem.
In December 2006, a South Korean destroyer irradiated a Self-Defense Force P-1 patrol aircraft with fire control radar, which targets naval guns and guides missiles.
Kunio Oda, a former air force general, said, "It's like putting your finger on the trigger and putting a gun to someone's temple.
Radar irradiation is a hostile act that could lead to the downing of a Self-Defense Force plane or the death of its pilot.
The South Korean response has been inexcusable to this day.
The official attitude of the South Korean government is that the Japanese side is lying without acknowledging radar irradiation.
It cannot possibly foster a relationship of trust between Japan and South Korea, especially between the militaries.
The deteriorating security environment is one of the reasons why the ROK is in such a hurry to improve relations between Japan and South Korea.
Last September, North Korea declared by law that nuclear weapons are a sign of national prestige and that being a nuclear superpower is North Korea's national identity.
At the same time, it legalized a nuclear first strike.
On February 18 this year, North Korea conducted a nuclear strike drill targeting the United States.
Two days later, it fired a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan and announced it was a launch exercise for its tactical nuclear operations force.
The nuclear exercise was targeted at Japan and South Korea.
Assassination Attempt
In response to this dangerous situation in North Korea, Yoon gave a speech on January 11, saying that if the North Korean nuclear problem became more serious, South Korea would deploy or even possess its atomic weapons.
The Chosun Ilbo, a leading conservative South Korean newspaper, asserted in an editorial on February 20 that "the only way to reduce the utility of North Korea's nuclear weapons to zero in an instant is to possess South Korea's nuclear weapons."
Against this backdrop, the U.S. Air Force's B-1B strategic bombers and F-16 fighter jets conducted joint exercises with Japan and South Korea on February 19.
On the 22nd, both U.S. and South Korean forces conducted a desk exercise at the Pentagon that simulated the use of nuclear weapons by North Korea.
On March 13, the following month, "Shield of Freedom," the first large-scale U.S.-South Korean military exercise in five years, began.
Meanwhile, North Korea launched a cruise missile against the U.S. and South Korea on February 23, followed by a missile launch from a submarine off the coast of Sinpo in the eastern part of the country on March 12.
Behind their series of aggressive provocations lies the shoulder of China and Russia.
The current situation is that Japan, the U.S., and South Korea must prepare not only for North Korea's nuclear and missile threats but also for the threats of China and Russia in the background, especially China.
The first step toward cooperation between Japan, the United States, and South Korea is to share information.
When enemy missiles and artillery shells threaten fleets and nuclear weapons, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea must risk their lives and support each other as a community of fate.
At that time, trust, as mentioned earlier, will come into play.
Does this trust exist between Japan and Korea?
At present, it isn't very sure.
One reason is the radar irradiation incident in December 2006, which I have already mentioned.
It was a mysterious incident.
In the bitter winter of the Sea of Japan, a dilapidated fishing boat drifted into Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
It was believed to be a North Korean vessel.
A South Korean navy destroyer and two heavy vessels of the Maritime Police approached the boat and sandwiched it between them.
Why did such a large South Korean navy vessel enter Japan's EEZ?
Moreover, the vessel they were pursuing looked like it was about to sink and had no equipment.
It is only natural that the SDF aircraft wondered and went out on patrol.
The SDF aircraft communicated with the South Korean destroyer but has yet to receive a response.
The SDF aircraft then approached the South Korean destroyer.
Suddenly, it was irradiated by radar.
Even a moment's delay in judgment could have resulted in a catastrophe.
The SDF plane immediately left the scene, but why did the South Koreans launch a reckless attack?
There must have been something on their side that they did not want the SDF aircraft to see.
Mr. Tsutomu Nishioka, a National Institute for Basic State Affairs researcher, pointed this out.
"Shortly before that, there was an assassination attempt on Kim Jong-un in North Korea, and we have information that about 90 people were arrested. It is possible that the four men who were adrift in a small boat were involved in the incident and escaped. Kim Jong-un wanted to capture them. So he may have instructed the South Koreans to detain these men in the small boat. It is only speculation, but since Moon Jae-in was president then, he may have sent out destroyers and other vessels per Jong-un's instructions. If you think about it, it makes sense that a large warship suddenly appeared in Japan's EEZ and cornered a small onboard ship, which would not have happened under normal circumstances."
The Great Scandal
The captured men were handed over to the North Koreans at the 38th parallel three days later.
There is no information on what happened to the men after they were handed over to North Korea.
However, Yoon has not indicated any intention to investigate the relationship between former President Moon Jae-in and North Korea, nor has he pursued this matter.
One cannot help but recall that Yoon, like Moon, was once in the leftist camp.
This incident may indicate that the South Korean military, the South Korean government, or former President Moon Jae-in may have been North Korean stooges.
If so, it would be a scandal of epic proportions that would shake South Korea to its core.
Neither South Korea nor the South Korean military can be trusted.
It is why the South Korean side must investigate and explain the radar irradiation incident.
An apology to the Self-Defense Forces and Japan is also essential.
Only then will the process of building trust begin.
Until then, we can never trust them.
It is only possible to strengthen relations between Japan and South Korea, or cooperation between Japan, the U.S., and South Korea, by putting aside the radar irradiation issue.
There are still problems between Japan and South Korea regarding wartime workers and trade control.
For example, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked for a waiver of the right to seek compensation from Japanese companies so that Korea will not rehash the issue of wartime workers forever.
It has not been part of the Korean proposal.
The current Yoon administration will be in power for about four more years, and depending on the subsequent administration, Japan-Korea relations will again fall into the worst possible situation.
However, neither Japan nor the United States can afford to be at odds with the Yoon administration now that the time for China to attack Taiwan is approaching.
In this sense, we must be prepared that the improvement in Japan-Korea relations this time will only last for a while. While working to improve ties tentatively, the Japanese side must continue to communicate the facts about the problems between the two countries to the ROK and the world.
