Korea Labels Japan ‘Neighbor’ Not ‘Partner’

• Arirang News

February 03, 2021 08:24

The government’s latest biennial defense white paper published Tuesday calls Japan just a “neighboring country,” reflecting the chill in their bilateral ties.

The description is a clear downgrade from as recently as 2018 when it called Japan a “partner.”

In the white paper, the Defense Ministry pointed out that issues like Japan’s territorial claim to the Dokdo islets and restrictions on exports of some high-tech materials hinder the development of a future-oriented relationship.

It said it will deal with these matters strictly but also continue to seek cooperation for peace and stability in the region.

Japan’s own white paper last year deleted a passage about pursuing “a broad range of cooperation” with South Korea.

As for North Korea, the white paper omits previous references to the repressive country as the “enemy,” as it has done since 2018. Rather, it reiterated that enemies are forces that “threaten or violate the country’s sovereignty, territory, people or property.”

But the paper then adds that North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Japan Upgrades S.Korea to ‘Important Ally’

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