130-458: The Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement ( EPA, also called Japan-EU Free Trade Agreement, JEFTA ) is in force since 1 February 2019 after having been negotiated from 2013 to 2017. The EPA is the EU's largest bilateral free trade agreement, covering 30 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP) and 40 percent of global trade. Japan's prime minister at the time, Shinzō Abe , said
260-483: A bachelor's degree in political science from Seikei University in 1977. From 1978 to 1979, Abe attended the University of Southern California where he studied English as a visiting student. After taking courses in history, international relations, and political science for three semesters, Abe left. Abe is reported to have been an average student. In April 1979, Abe began working for Kobe Steel . He left
390-608: A kamikaze pilot but the war ended before he completed training. Abe's maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi , was the de facto "economic king" of occupied China and Manchukuo , a Japanese puppet state in Northern China established after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in the lead-up to the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. During the war, Kishi served as Vice Minister of Munitions in
520-599: A trade dispute with South Korea after the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that reparations be made by Japanese companies who had benefited from forced labor . Abe was considered a hard-liner with respect to Japan's military policies. In 2007, he initiated the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue during his first tenure as prime minister, aimed at resisting China's rise as a superpower. He advocated for amending Article 9 of
650-535: A "growth first" policy that prioritizes economic expansion and recovery over budget considerations using the slogan "no fiscal health without economic revitalization". Abe's decision to delay the consumption tax increase in November 2014 and his push for a large fiscal deficit in the 2015 budget without social security cuts was interpreted as a victory for this faction within the LDP. The government did, however, commit to
780-529: A "politician who fights" and previously pledged not to resign. Abe explained that his unpopularity was hindering the passage of an anti-terrorism law, involving among other things Japan's continued military presence in Afghanistan . Party officials also said the embattled prime minister was suffering from poor health. Abe remained in the National Diet following his resignation as prime minister. He
910-452: A 10.3 trillion yen stimulus package, composed of public works spending, aid for small businesses and investment incentives, that aimed to increase growth by 2 percent. The budget also increased defense spending and manpower while reducing foreign aid. In Autumn 2013, Abe decided to proceed with the first stage of the increase in the consumption tax from 5 to 8 percent in April 2014 (with
1040-541: A Beautiful Nation ( 美しい国へ , Utsukushii kuni e ) . North Korea criticized this Japanese decision as a breach of a diplomatic promise, and the negotiations were aborted. Abe publicly recognized the need for improved relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and, along with Foreign Minister Tarō Asō, sought an eventual summit meeting with PRC paramount leader Hu Jintao . Abe also said that China–Japan relations should not continue to be based on "emotions". Abe
1170-399: A Shimonoseki mayoral candidate in 1999. Abe was the chief negotiator for the Japanese government on behalf of the families of Japanese abductees taken to North Korea . As a part of the effort, he accompanied Koizumi to meet Kim Jong Il in 2002. He gained national popularity when he demanded that Japanese abductees visiting Japan remain in the country, in defiance of North Korea. Abe
1300-489: A bill to encourage nationalism and a "love for one's country and hometown" among the Japanese youth (specific wording from the revised "Fundamental Law of Education" 教育基本法 , which was revised to include "love of country"). In March 2007, Abe stated that there was no evidence that the Japanese military had forced women into sexual slavery during World War II, which the Japanese government had admitted and apologized for in
1430-512: A contrast to the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which it alleged supported such policies. On 20 September 2006, Abe was elected as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. His chief competitors for the position were Sadakazu Tanigaki and Tarō Asō . Yasuo Fukuda was a leading early contender but ultimately chose not to run. Former prime minister Yoshirō Mori, to whose faction both Abe and Fukuda belonged, stated that
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#17328022641771560-402: A cut in corporation tax to below 30 percent, an expansion of childcare to encourage women to join the workforce, and the loosening of restrictions on overtime. In December 2015, the government announced corporation tax would be reduced to 29.97 percent in 2016, bringing the cut forward one year ahead of schedule. In September 2013 Abe called for a "society in which all women can shine", setting
1690-535: A favorable impression of South Korea outnumbered those with an unfavorable one for the first time in a decade. Between 1961 and 1979, South Korea's head of state was dictator Park Chung-hee , who had served in the Imperial Japanese military during World War II . Park took a strong interest in Japanese modernization since he witnessed development policies in Manchukuo firsthand. After the war, during
1820-556: A former comfort woman Lee Yong-soo accused the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and Yoon Mee-hyang , the former head of the council, of misusing funds and embezzlement. Some newspapers criticize the council and Yoon Mee-hyang because they seemed to amplify the problem by just criticizing Japan and exploited the former comfort women, although they said they are working for resolve
1950-522: A group of islets in the East Sea that is occupied by South Korea. There are valuable fishing grounds around the islets and potentially large reserves of methane clathrate . The territorial dispute is a major source of nationalist tensions between the two nations. Currently, South Korea occupies the island, which has its Korean Coast Guard stationed there, as well as two elderly Korean residents. Korea has been demanding official acknowledgement with
2080-437: A growth strategy focusing on structural reform and private sector investment to achieve long-term growth. In 2019, it was reported that 40% of key economic statistics collected from 2005 to 2017 contained errors, casting doubt on the effectiveness of Abe's economic program and the reliability of Japanese economic statistics. It was discovered that the labor ministry did not follow protocol by only surveying about one-third of all
2210-564: A hard-line stance on North Korea , especially regarding the North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens . In 2002 negotiations between Japan and North Korea, Prime Minister Koizumi and general secretary Kim Jong-il agreed to give abductees permission to visit Japan. A few weeks into the visit, the Japanese government decided that the abductees would be restricted from returning to North Korea where their families live. Abe took credit for this policy decision in his bestselling book, Towards
2340-733: A joint statement by Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki and U.S. President Ford declared: "The security of the Republic of Korea is ... necessary for peace and security in East Asia, including Japan". Japanese and South Korean relations soured in the early 1990s, following the public coming-out of several former comfort women and the Japanese government's initial denial of any responsibility. This friction soon grew to include disputes concerning Japan's colonization of Korea in general. The Japanese government began to relent somewhat after evidence of "comfort stations" from Japanese state archives
2470-477: A larger emphasis on foreign policy and national security instead of domestic concerns like economic policy. It also speculated that Abe's primary goal may have been to revise the pacifist constitution. Abe expressed a general commitment to the reforms instituted by his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. He took some steps toward balancing the Japanese budget, such as appointing a tax policy expert, Kōji Omi , as Minister of Finance. Omi previously supported increases in
2600-491: A majority or a large portion of these three tech imports from Japan. The restrictions came into effect starting on July 4, 2019. In a news release, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) gave a lack of trust on their side for South Korea's export control and restriction system, along with the discovery of controlled items being improperly exported by companies to South Korea, as justification of
2730-601: A member of the Japanese Diet, Abe visited Taiwan in 2010 and 2011. There he met with president Ma Ying-jeou , former president Lee Teng-hui and future president Tsai Ing-wen , who was then the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party . Ma described Abe as "the ROC's best friend" and said Abe was the third generation of his family to have close ties with the Republic of China. Abe also visited
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#17328022641772860-534: A monthly payment of 0.8 million won are given to the survivors. The Japanese government has also arranged an organization that gives money and official letters of apology to the victims. Today, many of the surviving female victims are in their 80s. As of 2007, according to South Korean government, there are 109 survivors in South Korea and 218 in North Korea. The survivors in South Korea protest in front of
2990-524: A move designed to facilitate TPP negotiations, improve the competitiveness of Japan's farming sector and curtail the influence of the agriculture lobby. Abe revealed the first measures related to the "third arrow" policies in June 2013, which included plans to establish deregulated economic zones and allow the sale of drugs online, but did not include substantial measures related to the labor market or business reform. These measures were less well-received than
3120-444: A new round of trade restrictions, this time striking South Korea from a list of nations that are viewed as taking necessary measures against the proliferation of conventional weapons and weapons of mass-destruction. A removal from the list enables METI to perform restrictions on any export to South Korea, including those outside the current three key tech-imports, on the basis of national security concerns from Japan's view. In 2021,
3250-423: A package of structural reforms in June 2014, that The Economist described as "less a single arrow than a 1,000-strong bundle" and compared favorably to the 2013 announcement. These new measures included corporate governance reform, the easing of restrictions on hiring foreign staff in special economic zones, liberalizing the health sector, and measures to help foreign and local entrepreneurs. The plans also included
3380-493: A peaceful middle ground with other North Asian countries such as Japan, for business and trade because of its objective to be the "center of Asian business". The two argue that this agreement favors China more than Japan due to South Korea's unsafe political security history with Japan, which has affected the Seoul-Tokyo economic relations. This has led to a decrease in trade and export between both countries; Japanese tourism
3510-516: A primary surplus by 2020, and pledged to review its strategy in 2018 if the primary deficit had not fallen to 1 percent of GDP by that time. On 15 March 2013, Abe announced that Japan was entering negotiations to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This was interpreted by analysts as a means through which the government could enact reforms to liberalize certain sectors of the Japanese economy, most notably agriculture, and
3640-472: A private lunch with Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi , one of the masterminds behind the pre-war Manchukuo economy, Park compared his own South Korean military clique with "the young people who succeeded with Meiji restoration in Japan." He further added that he and his troops "look up to these people, and try to make our country escape from poverty and build a wealthy and powerful nation." Under Park's government,
3770-539: A second stage envisaged raising it to 10 percent in October 2015). The bill to raise the tax had been passed under the previous DPJ government, but the final decision lay with the Prime Minister. He and Finance Minister Tarō Asō explained that the tax would be increased to provide a "sustainable" basis for future social spending and to avoid the need to finance future stimulus by issuing government bonds. While this
3900-441: A series of political funding scandals. He was the first cabinet member to commit suicide since World War II. Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered great losses in the upper house election , losing control for the first time in 52 years. Agricultural minister, Norihiko Akagi , involved in a political funding scandal, resigned after the election. Additionally, Abe's rejection of a possible female Japanese monarch, which led to
4030-521: A sincere apology and compensation for the sex slaves or comfort women issue, referring to the women and girls who were forced to have sex with Imperial Japanese military soldiers during World War II. According to the World Conference on Japanese Military Sexual Slavery, enlisted to the military stations through force, kidnapping, coercion, and deception, the Korean sex slaves, mostly girls under
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4160-482: A target that 30 percent of leadership positions should be held by women by 2020. Abe cited the "womenomics" ideas of Kathy Matsui that greater participation by women in the workforce, which is relatively low in Japan, especially in leadership roles, could improve Japan's GDP and potentially fertility rates, despite declining population figures. The Abe cabinet introduced measures to expand childcare and legislation to force public and private organizations to publish data on
4290-469: Is one of the big exporting services South Korea offers, which decreased by a rate of approximately 23% between the year 2012 and 2013. In 2013 South Korea banned the import of fish from eight prefectures in Japan due to growing concerns over the Fukushima nuclear power plant waste incident, after Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) declared the incident to be a radioactive waste a couple of years after
4420-518: The Anpo protests . The BBC speculated that Abe's aversion to protests may have originated as a result. Abe viewed Kishi as his "No 1 role model" and was influenced by many of his beliefs, like Kishi's hawkish stance on China. Regarding Kishi, Abe later wrote: "Some people used to point to my grandfather as a 'Class-A war criminal suspect,' and I felt strong repulsion. Because of that experience, I may have become emotionally attached to 'conservatism,' on
4550-537: The First Sino-Japanese War in 1894. Further, Japan claims that the primary naming occurred during the period of Sakoku , when Japan had very little foreign contact, and thus Japan could not have influenced the naming decisions. It was the 1928 International Hydrographic Organization 's Limits of Oceans and Seas document, which officially took the name "Sea of Japan", which eventually influenced other official international documents such as those by
4680-457: The Mindan include: Tokyo Korean School , Educational Foundation Kyoto International School , Kongo Gakuen (Geumgang Hagwon), and Baekdu Hagwon (Keonguk). After the end of World War II , South Korea banned Japanese cultural imports such as music , film , TV shows , anime , video games , literature ( manga ). Nonetheless, In 1990s, X Japan song " Endless Rain " was very popular as
4810-560: The National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine , a shrine dedicated to the war dead of the Republic of China, including those who died in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Abe later revealed that the illness that contributed to ending his first term as prime minister was ulcerative colitis , but that he recovered due to access to a drug, Asacol , that was previously unavailable in Japan. Following
4940-552: The South China Sea , the East China Sea and, indeed, the entire Western Pacific... China's military strategy has rested on the concept of a 'strategic frontier'. In a nutshell, this very dangerous idea posits that borders and exclusive economic zones are determined by national power, and that as long as China's economy continues to grow, its sphere of influence will continue to expand. Some might associate this with
5070-540: The Unification Church . This was the first assassination of a former Japanese prime minister since 1936 . A polarizing figure in Japanese politics, Abe was described by supporters as having worked to strengthen Japan's security and international stature, while opponents described his nationalistic policies and negationist views on history as threatening Japanese pacifism and damaging relations with East Asian neighbors, including China and South Korea. Shinzo Abe
5200-541: The United States , and so were strongly pressured by Washington. In November 2016, despite facing criticism from all sides in South Korea, the two countries signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement [ jp ] (GSOMIA), which means Japan and South Korea share military information about North Korea. Japan's moves toward military rearmament have unnerved Seoul where Japan
5330-452: The United States . Relations, however, are greatly complicated by a number of issues, including territorial claims on Liancourt Rocks and conflicting views on mutual history . According to a 2014 BBC World Service poll, 13% of Japanese view South Korea's influence positively, with 37% expressing a negative view, while 15% of South Koreans view Japanese influence positively, with 79% expressing negatively, making South Korea, after China ,
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5460-588: The Yasukuni Shrine . Abe, in his four terms as the prime minister of Japan, sought to upgrade the strategic Japan–India relationship. Abe initiated the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between Japan, the United States, Australia, and India in 2007, which was seen as a counter to China's rising power. His three-day visit to India in August 2007 inaugurated a new bilateral Asian alliance, building on
5590-626: The gilboard charts ( streetboard charts ) hit song by the street vendors sales, and Korean people heard this song everywhere through the vendors' boomboxes . Afterwards, the ban was lifted under the Kim Dae-jung administration in 1998. In 2004, the ban on imports of Japanese CDs and DVDs was lifted. Today Japanese popular culture has become increasingly more popular among younger generations people in Korea. There are two nihonjin gakko Japanese schools in South Korea for Japanese children in
5720-578: The 1992 Kono Statement . Responding to a potential motion by the US Congress encouraging Japan to acknowledge the atrocity, Abe stated that the Japanese government would not apologize again. Abe held conservative views in the Japanese succession controversy . Shortly after the birth of Prince Hisahito of Akishino , he abandoned a proposed legislative amendment to permit women to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne . Abe generally took
5850-611: The 2015 agreement and shut down the Japan-funded comfort women foundation which was launched in July 2016 to finance the agreement's settlement on November 21, 2018. Protestors placed a statue of a comfort woman outside the Japanese consulate in Busan, which caused Japan to withdraw their ambassador. In 2019, South Korea de facto voided the agreement. The issue remains largely unresolved and continues to cause conflict today. In 2020,
5980-468: The BOJ would boost the monetary easing program and accelerate asset purchases, the monetary policy committee split by five votes to four but supported the policy. This was interpreted as a response to disappointing economic figures in the aftermath of the increase in the consumption tax to 8 percent, inflation has fallen to 1 percent from its peak of 1.5 percent in April. The Abe Cabinet's first budget included
6110-598: The Bank's monetary policy committee after he had taken office in April, Kuroda announced an aggressive program of easing intended to double the money supply and achieve the 2 percent inflation target at "the earliest possible time". Over the first six months of the second Abe Cabinet, the Yen fell from a high of ¥77 to the dollar to ¥101.8, and the Nikkei 225 rose by 70 percent. In a surprise move in October 2014, Kuroda announced that
6240-834: The Billboard charts. In more recent years various K-pop acts, including Super Junior , TVXQ , Choshinsung , Big Bang , Kara , Girls' Generation , 2PM , and later Twice , BTS and Red Velvet , have made their debuts in Japan, and these groups have contributed to the rebirth of the Korean Wave in Japan. Kara, Girls' Generation and Twice, in particular, have been topping numerous charts and awards in Japan. The South Korean government maintains Korean cultural education centers in: Tokyo , Chiba , Fukuoka , Hiroshima , Kobe , Kyoto , Nagano , Nara , Okayama , Osaka , Saitama , Sapporo , Sendai , Shimonoseki , and Yokohama . South Korean international schools associated with
6370-549: The Diet, with the support of 328 out of 480 members of the House of Representatives. He and his second cabinet , which he called a "crisis-busting cabinet", were sworn in later that day. The new government included LDP heavyweights such as former prime minister Tarō Asō as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Yoshihide Suga as Chief Cabinet Secretary and Akira Amari as Economy Minister. Following his victory, Abe said, "With
6500-729: The German concept of ' lebensraum '." Abe saw in the ASEAN countries a counterbalance to Chinese expansionism. Abe feared the Finlandization of Japan with respect to China, and saw the reaction of the Kan Cabinet to the September 2010 Senkaku boat collision incident as "a very foolish move" and "frighteningly naive". He stated the "imperative that Japan conduct a review of its Three Principles on Arms Exports ." While serving as
6630-609: The Japanese Constitution to legally codify the status of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). However, this was never achieved during his lifetime. He enacted military reforms in 2015 that allowed Japan to exercise collective security by allowing JSDF deployments overseas, the passage of which was controversial and met with protests . Economically, Abe attempted to counter Japan's economic stagnation with " Abenomics ", with mixed results. He
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#17328022641776760-491: The Japanese court system has rejected such claims due to the length of time and claiming that there is no evidence. In November 1990, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military ( 한국정신대문제대책협의회 ; 韓國挺身隊問題對策協議會 ) was established in South Korea. In 1993, the government of Japan officially acknowledged the presence of sexual slavery in World War II. As of 2008, a lump sum payment of 43 million Korean won and
6890-799: The Japanese embassy in Seoul, Korea, every Wednesday. The protest was held for 1000th time in December 2011. In December 2000, the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan's Military Sexual Slavery sat in Tokyo, Japan. During the proceedings, the judges of the tribunal heard hours of testimony by 75 survivors, as well as reviewed affidavits and video interviews by countless others. The tribunal's judgment found Emperor Hirohito and other Japanese officials guilty of crimes against humanity and held that Japan bore state responsibility and should pay reparations to
7020-415: The Japanese military onto others, saying, "Prostitution agents were prevalent due to the poverty and patriarchal family system. For that reason, even if the military was not directly involved, it is said it was possible to gather many women through such methods as work-related scams and human trafficking." As the few surviving female victims continue to strive for official acknowledgment and a sincere apology,
7150-727: The Japanese succession controversy, diminished his support base. In an attempt to revive his administration, Abe announced a new cabinet in August 2007. Support for Abe rose by 10 percent as a result; however, the new agricultural minister Takehiko Endo , involved in a finance scandal, resigned only seven days later. On 12 September 2007, only three days after a new parliamentary session had begun, Abe announced his intention to resign his position as prime minister at an unscheduled press conference. The announcement came just minutes before opposition leaders were scheduled to question him in Parliament and shocked many. Abe had described himself as
7280-432: The July "settlement" of a two-year-old feud that began when South Korean agents abducted Kim Dae-jung , an opposition leader (and future President of South Korea ), from a Tokyo hotel. As a result of the settlement, a long-delayed ministerial conference was held in Seoul in September to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries. Japan joined the United States in providing assurances for South Korea's security. In
7410-619: The Korean government. Japan's decision to release Fukushima waste water in April 2021 has emerged as a new source of tensions between the two countries. After Japan announced its plans, the South Korean government swiftly condemned the decision and summoned the Japanese ambassador to Seoul to issue a strong protest. Civil protests have ensued across the country as a result of Japan's decision. The South Korean government has been considering legal action against Japan, and various South Korean civil groups and associations have considered
7540-404: The LDP's landslide victory in that year's general election , Abe became the first former prime minister to return to office since Shigeru Yoshida in 1948. He led the LDP to further victories in the 2014 and 2017 elections , becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister. In 2020, Abe again resigned as prime minister, citing a relapse of his colitis, and was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga . Abe
7670-633: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan disclosed "the claims for Japan" presented by the Korean government in the process of negotiating the Japan–Korea claim agreement concluded in 1965 regarding WWII. It specifies that the claims for compensation to Korea is "complete and final" by Korea accepting a total of $ 500 million in funding. The claim consists of eight articles, in which it states that "the claim by recruited Koreans for reimbursement, compensation, and other claims required" are all included. According to
7800-525: The Negotiated Minutes published along with the claim, when the Japanese representative asked, "Do you want Japan to pay for Korean individuals?" in the May 1961 negotiations, the Korean side said, "We will receive the whole payment as a country, and the domestic payments will be made as necessary as domestic measures." Thus, Japanese government provided $ 300 million in free and $ 200 million in charge to
7930-631: The Philippines, and Indonesia in this arrangement has been speculated in the media of those states. Chinese strategic experts have labeled the evolving geo-strategic paradigm, the " Asian NATO ". Abe's pragmatic India foreign policy was to boost Japan's resurgent economic indicators while gaining a crucial partner in Asia. Abe sought to revise or broaden the interpretation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution in order to permit Japan to maintain de jure military forces. He stated that "we are reaching
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#17328022641778060-600: The South Korean Court rulings allowed individual Korean citizens to sue Japanese companies for compensation over their use of forced labor during the Second World War . This has led to an increase in tensions between the two countries. According to Japan, all issues related to wartime conduct were settled in 1965 when the two countries signed agreements establishing diplomatic and economic relations that included some reparations for Japanese actions during
8190-515: The South Korean government declared "industrial independence" from Japan, stating that imports of Japanese materials for its industrial sector had been successfully reduced to near zero for key items such as etching gas, photoresist, and fluorinated polyimide. Overall reliance on Japan for the top 100 industrial items had declined to 24.9%, and further efforts were being made to reduce imports of Japanese items. This achievement has been likened by officials to an "independence movement", drawing parallels to
8320-582: The United Nations. Japan also claims that it is not important whether the term "East Sea" has been used in Korea for more than 2000 years because it is only the localized name and how it was named internationally is more important. South Korea claims that Korea was occupied by the Japanese and effectively had no international voice to protest in 1928. The Liancourt Rocks , called Dokdo ( 독도 ; 獨島 ; lit. solitary island) in Korean and Takeshima ( 竹島 , "bamboo island" ) in Japanese, are
8450-667: The age of 18, were raped and tortured by 30–40 soldiers each day. According to the New York Times , Most mainstream historians agree that the Imperial Army treated women in conquered territories as spoils of battle, rounding them up to work in a system of military-run brothels known as comfort stations that stretched from China to the South Pacific. Many were deceived with offers of jobs in factories and hospitals and then forced to provide sex for imperial soldiers in
8580-400: The alive "comfort women", hailed this deal as a sign of positive progression in Japanese and South Korean relations. Due to low public support, especially in South Korea, the agreement was starting to fall apart by January 2017. After Moon Jae-in became president, the South Korean government decided again to keep the issue of "Comfort Woman" as a dispute between the two countries by discarding
8710-622: The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in 2014 Abe announced that he was ready to act as a " drill bit " to break through the rock of vested interests and "red tape" to achieve structural reforms of the economy. He cited reforms in agriculture, energy and health sectors as evidence of this, and pledged to push forward with the TPP, a Japan–EU trade deal and tax, corporate governance and planning reforms. Abe announced
8840-665: The cabinet of Prime Minister Hideki Tojo . At the end of the war, Kishi was imprisoned as a suspected "Class-A" war criminal by the US military occupation of Japan , but was released and later de-purged as part of the Occupation's " reverse course " due to the Cold War . Kishi helped found the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1955 and served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 until his 1960 resignation following
8970-451: The cabinet's move to raise the consumption tax from 5 to 10 percent. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was forced to rely on the LDP to pass the consumption tax bill and in return was pressured by Abe and the opposition parties to hold a snap general election. Noda agreed to this on the conditions that the LDP passed a bond-financing bill and would support a commission to reform the social security system and address electoral malapportionment in
9100-464: The comfort stations. In Southeast Asia, there is evidence that Japanese soldiers simply kidnapped women to work in the comfort stations. Among the women who have come forward to say they were forced to have sex with soldiers are Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos, as well as Dutch women captured in Indonesia, then a Dutch colony. Japanese media attempts to shift blame for the wartime brothels away from
9230-474: The communist-led North Korea. Japan and South Korea formally established diplomatic relations in December 1965, under the Treaty on Basic Relations Between Japan and the Republic of Korea , with Japan recognizing South Korea as the only legitimate government in the Korean Peninsula. Japan and South Korea share many cultural, economic, and military ties. Their economies are respectively the second and fourth largest in Asia , and they are both military allies of
9360-552: The company in 1982 and pursued a number of government positions including executive assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, private secretary to the chairperson of the LDP General Council, and private secretary to the LDP secretary-general. Abe worked as a secretary for his father who visited 81 countries in the 1980s. These travels imparted to Abe the importance of building relations with foreign leaders. Abe
9490-553: The contrary". His mother Yōko was a noted calligrapher . Abe's paternal grandfather, Kan Abe , was a Yamaguchi landowner who served in the House of Representatives during World War II. In contrast to Kishi, Kan Abe was a stalwart pacifist who opposed the Tojo government and war in East Asia. Abe attended Seikei Elementary School [ ja ] and Seikei Junior and Senior High School [ ja ] (成蹊中学校・高等学校). He studied public administration and graduated with
9620-499: The country with the second most negative perception of Japan in the world. In spite of the issues, both South Korea and Japan have taken priorities to work alongside the United States in countering recent threats from China , Russia , and North Korea . Under the leaderships of South Korean president , Yoon Suk Yeol , and Japanese prime minister , Shigeru Ishiba , both countries are attempting to restore ties and trust with each other. In 2023, surveys showed Japanese people with
9750-488: The country: Japanese School in Seoul and Busan Japanese School . In 2012, it was reported that South Korea agreed to sign a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan, possibly in response to threats from North Korea and China. However, the fact that the government tried to pass it without public discussion or debate in the National Assembly was reported by The Korea Herald . The majority of citizens,
9880-585: The deal signified the creation of "the birth of the world's largest, free, industrialised economic zone". This article about the European Union is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Japan -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe ( / ˈ ʃ ɪ n z oʊ ˈ ɑː b eɪ / SHIN -zoh AH -bay ; Japanese : 安倍 晋三 , Hepburn : Abe Shinzō , IPA: [abe ɕindzoː] ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022)
10010-495: The dispute and working for the former comfort women. On June 25, 2021, the Japanese government released a statement that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga supports declarations made by past administrations that recognize and apologize for Japan's aggression in World War II concerning the comfort women issue. During World War II, Japanese Empire conscripted as many as 7.8 million Koreans into forced labor, including military service and sex slavery (a.k.a. comfort women). In 2019,
10140-580: The earthquake. Japan considered the ban a hostile move, leading the Japanese government to file a complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in May 2015, claiming that Seoul was "discriminating against" Japanese seafood'. In October 2017 the WTO issued a ruling, with reports stating that South Korea lost the case. On April 12, 2019, the WTO overturned its previous decision. Nearly 50 countries have enacted bans on Japanese imports following
10270-476: The elections on 16 December 2012, the LDP won 294 seats in the 480-seat House of Representatives. Together with the New Komeito Party (which partnered with the LDP since the late 1990s), Abe was able to form a coalition government that controlled a two-thirds majority in the lower house, allowing it to override the upper house's veto. On 26 December 2012, Abe was formally elected as prime minister by
10400-560: The event turned out to be very successful. According to an analysis by Bloomberg, the economic links between the two countries, particularly in trade, investment, and finance, are far weaker than would be predicted by the gravity model of trade , especially when compared to the economic links between neighbors in North America and Europe. This lack of economic integration is attributed to their hostile relationship. According to David Kang and Jiun Bang, South Korea has tried to create
10530-400: The faction strongly leant toward Abe. On 26 September 2006, Abe was inaugurated as Japanese prime minister. Elected at age 52, he was the youngest prime minister since Fumimaro Konoe in 1941. He was also the first prime minister born after World War II . Abe's first cabinet was announced on 26 September 2006. The only minister retained in his position from the previous Koizumi cabinet
10660-471: The first two arrows had been since Abe took office, with the stock market falling slightly and critics arguing that they lacked detail; The Economist , for example, judged the announcement a "misfire". Analysts did note, however, that Abe was waiting until after the July Upper House elections to reveal further details, to avoid an adverse reaction by voters to potentially unpopular reforms. At
10790-612: The first visit of a Japanese premier to postwar Korea. Nevertheless, Seoul objected strongly to occasional visits by Japanese politicians to North Korea, to the continuation of Red Cross repatriation of Korean residents in Japan to North Korea, and to the proposal of Tokyo Governor Minobe to permit a pro-North Korean university in Tokyo. The Japanese Foreign Ministry opposed Minobe on this issue in order to prove its loyalty to South Korea. Meanwhile, contacts between Japan and South Korea increased through new air routes, tourism, and trade. In 1975, South Korean–Japanese relations improved following
10920-489: The following year. Confirmed by the National Diet , Abe became Japan's youngest post-war prime minister and the first born after World War II . Abe resigned as prime minister a year later due to ulcerative colitis and his party's recent election losses . After recovering, Abe staged an unexpected political comeback by defeating Shigeru Ishiba , the former defense minister , to become LDP president in 2012. Following
11050-543: The governments response; one lawmaker called Abe's economic program a fraud, with many journalists labeling the event as a data scandal. At the first CEFP meeting in January 2013, Abe declared that the Bank of Japan should follow a policy of monetary easing to achieve a target of 2 percent inflation. Abe maintained pressure on the Bank's governor, Masaaki Shirakawa , who was reluctant to set specific targets, into agreeing to
11180-401: The independence struggles during Japan's colonial rule. In March 2023, the dispute over semiconductor materials was resolved ahead of a summit, with South Korea withdrawing its WTO complaint and Japan dropping its export restrictions. There is dispute over the international name for the body of water between Japan and Korea . Japan points out that the name "Sea of Japan" ( Japanese : 日本海 )
11310-611: The island, and his great-uncle Eisaku Satō was the last prime minister to visit Taiwan while in office. Abe expressed the need to strengthen political, security, and economic ties with Southeast Asian countries. Although the PRC is not within the Southeast Asian region, Japan has also sought its support. However, relations with the PRC and the ROC continue to be tarnished by the Senkaku Islands dispute and Abe's visits to
11440-418: The large Japanese businesses it was supposed to survey. The data was eventually corrected, and it was discovered that the faulty data presented Japanese economic statistics more favorably than the corrected data. The faulty data costed 19.7 million people about 53.7 billion yen in unpaid benefits, and costed the Japanese government 650 million yen to correct the error. Opposition politicians criticized
11570-469: The late 19th century when both Japan and Korea undergo modernization from Western powers up until 1910, when Korea became a colony of Japan . Shortly after gaining independence from the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into two states. During the Korean War , Japan took part in aiding South Korea by providing military supplies to US and UN forces against
11700-635: The limit in narrowing down differences between Japan's security and the interpretation of our constitution". During his first period as prime minister, he upgraded the Japan Defense Agency to full ministry status . Like his predecessors, he supported the Japanese alliance with the United States. Abe supported the US-led war in Iraq . In the lead-up to the July election, Abe's Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka committed suicide following
11830-559: The long history of friendly bilateral relations between India and Japan . Abe's initiative was to establish the "fifth" bilateral link in an emerging scenario, whereby, the US–Australia, US–Japan, Japan–Australia, and the US–India links are supportive strategic alignments. A sixth link of India-Australia would be the logical corollary, formalized as a new quadrilateral of a strategic bulwark. The eventual expansion to include Vietnam, South Korea,
11960-485: The media that he has some Korean ancestry in 2002. In 1996 FIFA announced that the two countries would jointly host the 2002 FIFA World Cup . The next few years would see leaders of both countries meet to warm relations in preparations for the games. Though citizens of both countries were initially unhappy about having to share the honors with the other, and the Liancourt Rocks controversy flared up again,
12090-407: The name "East Sea"( Korean : 동해 ; Hanja : 東海 ), which was one of the most common names found on old European maps of this sea, should be the name instead of (or at least used concurrently with) "Sea of Japan." Japan claims that Western countries named it the "Sea of Japan" prior to 1860, before the growth of Japanese influence over Korean foreign policy after the outbreak of
12220-596: The national consumption tax , although Abe distanced himself from this policy and sought to achieve much of his budget-balancing through spending cuts. Since 1997, as the bureau chief of the "Institute of Junior Assembly Members Who Think About the Outlook of Japan and History Education", Abe supported the controversial Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform and the New History Textbook . In March 2007, Abe, along with right-wing politicians, proposed
12350-418: The next diet session. On 16 November 2012, Prime Minister Noda announced the dissolution of the lower house and that the general election would be held on 16 December. Abe campaigned using the slogan "Nippon o Torimodosu" ( " Take back Japan " ), promising economic revival through monetary easing, higher public spending and the continued use of nuclear energy, and a tough line in territorial disputes. In
12480-448: The nuclear disaster of 2011, though Japan has only filed a case to the WTO exclusively on South Korea's import restrictions. In July 2019, Japan announced that the export of several controlled items to South Korea would now be put through restrictions including a licensing process. Specifically, Japan notified restrictions on fluorinated polyimides, hydrogen fluoride, and photoresists. South Korean tech companies currently import either
12610-584: The number of women they employ, and what positions they hold. Japan%E2%80%93South Korea relations Japan–South Korea relations ( Japanese : 日韓関係 , romanized : Nikkan kankei ; Korean : 한일관계 ; RR : Hanil gwangye ) refers to the diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea . As the Sea of Japan and the Korea Strait geographically separate
12740-591: The office of his supporters in Shimonoseki , in Yamaguchi Prefecture, were attacked with Molotov cocktails on numerous occasions. The perpetrators were several yakuza belonging to the Kudo-kai , a Kitakyushu -based designated bōryokudan syndicate. The reason for the attacks was believed to be that Abe's local aide refused to give cash to a Shimonoseki real estate broker in return for supporting
12870-459: The opposition party and even the ruling party objected the military cooperation due to historical and territorial disputes, the possibility of provoking North Korea and China, and concerns about Japanese militarization. Therefore, it was delayed only an hour before the signing ceremony. The reason why the governments of South Korea and Japan intended to sign it was both South Korea and Japan are U.S. allies and have their own military alliances with
13000-400: The policy. In February, after Abe publicly speculated that the government could legislate to strip the bank of independence, Shirakawa announced he was leaving office prematurely before his term expired. Abe then appointed Haruhiko Kuroda as governor, who had previously advocated inflation targets, and who has pursued the government's policies of monetary easing. After the first meeting of
13130-549: The prime ministership to prevent Japan becoming a "Tier Two Nation", declaring that "Japan is back". The Second Abe cabinet revived the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy (CEFP) that had played a key role in formulating economic policy during the Koizumi cabinet, but had been abandoned by the 2009–2012 DPJ administrations. Abe declared in his January 2013 policy speech to the Diet that economic revival and escaping deflation
13260-457: The recession, Aso announced that the government would ask the Diet to pass a supplementary budget to fund a further stimulus package worth 2–3 trillion yen. There had been some division within the Abe cabinet between "fiscal hawks", such as Finance Minister Aso, who favored fiscal consolidation through spending cuts and tax increases, and deflationists, such as Abe himself, who argued in favor of
13390-492: The relations between the two nations, both enjoy cultural exchanges with each other. A Korean television series entitled Winter Sonata , which first appeared in Japan in April 2003, became a runaway hit in Japan, and has often been identified as a landmark in South Korean-Japanese cultural exchange. The female K-pop artist BoA is one of the most popular singers in Japan with six consecutive albums topping
13520-458: The resignation of LDP president Sadakazu Tanigaki, Abe was re-elected as president of the party on 26 September 2012, coming in second out of five candidates in the first round of voting, but defeating former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a runoff vote by 108 votes to 89. Abe returned to the LDP leadership at a time of political turmoil, as the governing DPJ had lost its majority in the lower house due to party splits over nuclear policies and
13650-1003: The restrictions. While METI has not given specific details or examples of the above narrative, some media reports claim South Korea may have passed on restricted chemicals to the United Arab Emirates, Iran, or North Korea. South Korea denies claims that their country's export governance is lax, and summoned a Japanese embassy official to speak against Japan's allegations that South Korea was inept in carrying out sanctions against North Korea . South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo stated that an emergency inspection on companies importing chemicals from Japan came up with no evidence those chemicals were being exported to North Korea, and that Japan's claims were groundless and should be stopped. Others view Japan's trade restrictions as partially being an excuse to retaliate against suspected intellectual property infringement by South Korean companies. Japan intends to begin
13780-430: The same. Furthermore, South Korea is seeking the cooperation of other countries, such as the U.S., Denmark, and other G7 countries, for support on the issue. The dispute escalated further in June 2021 as the South Korean parliament adopted a resolution condemning Japan's waste water discharge plan, which had passed with support across the political spectrum. In spite of the many disputes that are negatively affecting
13910-528: The strength of my entire cabinet, I will implement bold monetary policy, flexible fiscal policy and a growth strategy that encourages private investment, and with these three policy pillars, achieve results." In February 2013, Abe gave an address at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., in which he explained his economic and diplomatic objectives, and that he had returned to
14040-497: The two countries pursued the 1965 reconciliation treaty , which brought about normalized relations, despite considerable public opposition. Park was able to force the normalization through the National Assembly and shut down demonstrations through martial law . As a result, Tokyo provided $ 300 million as compensation to comfort women , forced laborers and other victims, and extended an additional $ 200 million credit to Seoul, and Prime Minister Sato attended official functions in July,
14170-560: The two countries. This brief healing period soured once again in 2001 after revelations of school textbooks approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education which stated that Japanese colonization was necessary for regional security and also removed any mention of comfort women. That same year, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine and continued to do so every year during his tenure. Nonetheless, there were some positive overtures, such as Koizumi's visit to South Korean independence landmarks in 2001 and Emperor Akihito reminding
14300-584: The two nations, political interactions date back from the 6th century when the kingdom of Baekje (which encompassed much of present-day South Korea) officially established relations with the Yamato Kingship of Japan. During the ancient era, the southern region of the Korean Peninsula often served as the closest port for economic trade and cultural exchange between the Japanese archipelago and mainland Asia. Such relations would continue by
14430-533: The victims. In July 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution demanding that Japan apologize for forcing women into sexual slavery during World War II. The resolution was sponsored by Mike Honda (D-CA), a third-generation Japanese-American. On December 13, 2007, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that demands the Japanese government to apologize to the survivors of Japan's military sexual slavery system. This resolution
14560-593: The war. However, there is a different perspective on the 1965 treaty; individual rights to ask for reparations have not been part of the treaty in order to achieve diplomatic relations on a nation-to-nation basis. That is why "the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, two corporations that exploited Korean labor during Japan's colonization of Korea (1910–1945), should pay reparations to their victims." On July 29, several Japanese media outlets reported that
14690-407: Was "the greatest and urgent issue" facing Japan. His economic strategy, referred to as Abenomics , consisted of the so-called "three arrows" (an allusion to an old Japanese story ) of policy. The first arrow was monetary expansion aimed at achieving a 2% inflation target, the second a flexible fiscal policy to act as an economic stimulus in the short term, then achieve a budget surplus, and the third
14820-523: Was Foreign Minister Tarō Asō, who had been one of Abe's competitors for the LDP presidency. In addition to the cabinet positions existing under Koizumi, Abe created five new "advisor" positions. He reshuffled his cabinet on 27 August 2007. Commentators noted that these changes seemed to be an effort by Abe to organize the Prime Minister's office into something more akin to the White House . The New York Times observed that his cabinet appeared to place
14950-510: Was a Japanese statesman and politician who served as the prime minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP ) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, serving for almost nine years in total. Abe also served as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2005 to 2006 under Junichiro Koizumi and was briefly the opposition leader in 2012. Abe
15080-519: Was a staunch conservative and associated with the Nippon Kaigi , which holds negationist views on Japanese history, including denying the role of government coercion in the recruitment of comfort women during World War II , a position which caused tensions particularly with South Korea. Under his premiership, Japan–South Korea relations further strained in 2019 over disputes about reparations. Earlier that same year, Abe's government initiated
15210-567: Was also credited with reinstating the Trans-Pacific Partnership with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership . On 8 July 2022, Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in Nara two days before the 10 July upper house elections . The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami , who was immediately arrested by Japanese police, confessed to targeting the former prime minister because of Abe's reported ties with
15340-561: Was appointed Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party. Abe was a member of the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai , a faction in the Liberal Democratic Party . This faction is headed by former prime minister Yoshirō Mori. Junichiro Koizumi was a member of the Mori Faction, but left it, as is the custom when accepting a high party post. From 1986 to 1991, Abe's father, Shintaro, headed the same faction. In 2000, Abe's home and
15470-496: Was born into the prominent Satō–Kishi–Abe family in Tokyo as the grandson of Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi . After graduating from Seikei University and briefly attending the University of Southern California , Abe was elected to the Japanese House of Representatives in the 1993 election . Abe was appointed Chief Cabinet Secretary by Prime Minister Koizumi in 2005 before replacing him as prime minister and LDP president
15600-558: Was born on 21 September 1954 to a prominent political family in Shinjuku , Tokyo. Although as a boy he aspired to become a filmmaker, Abe's family history led him upon a political path. His father Shintaro Abe served in the House of Representatives from 1958 to 1991, with stints as Chief Cabinet Secretary , Minister for International Trade and Industry , and Minister for Foreign Affairs . During World War II , Shintaro volunteered to be
15730-466: Was criticized by farm lobbies and some sections of the LDP. Economist Yoshizaki Tatsuhiko described the TPP as having the potential to act as the "linchpin of Abe's economic revitalization strategy" by making Japan more competitive through free trade. In February 2015 the Abe government struck a deal to limit the power of the JA-Zenchu body to supervise and audit Japan's agricultural co-operatives, in
15860-588: Was elected to the first district of Yamaguchi Prefecture [ ja ] in 1993 after his father's death in 1991, winning the most votes of the four Representatives elected in the SNTV multi-member district. In 1999, he became Director of the Social Affairs Division. He was Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi Cabinets from 2000 to 2003, after which he
15990-447: Was expected to affect economic growth in the quarter following the rise, Abe also announced a 5-trillion yen stimulus package that aimed to mitigate any effects on economic revival. After the increase in April, Japan fell into recession during the second and third quarters of 2014, leading to Abe delaying the second stage of the tax rise until April 2017 and calling a snap election ( see § 2014 general election ). In response to
16120-419: Was passed with 54 ayes out of 57 parliament members present. On 28 December 2015, Japan and South Korea reached an agreement surrounding the "comfort women issue", women who were forced to work in Japanese brothels during World War II . Several previous attempts to settle the issue were unsuccessful dating back to 1965. This agreement, according to which the issue would be "finally and irreversibly" resolved,
16250-651: Was re-elected to his Yamaguchi 4th district seat in the 2009 election , when the Liberal Democratic Party lost power to the DPJ. On 15 October 2010, Abe delivered a speech in Washington DC to the Hudson Institute on US-Japan relations . Japan had recently been surpassed by China as the number two economy in the world, a position that it had held for the previous 40 years. Abe said: "It appears that China hopes to gain control not only over Taiwan, but also over
16380-461: Was reached after both sides experienced great pressure from the United States who was looking to preserve their trilateral alliance. Japan had made an apology and will pay 1bn yen ($ 8.3m, £5.6m) to fund victims. The announcement came after Japan's foreign minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Seoul for discussions with his counterpart Yun Byung-se, following moves to speed up talks. Former South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, without any communication with
16510-526: Was respected among some politicians in the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan), most notably those who are part of the Pan-Green Coalition seeking Taiwanese independence . Chen Shui-bian welcomed Abe's ministership. Part of Abe's appeal in Taiwan was historical; his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi was an anti-communist who supported Chiang Kai-shek 's government after the government retreated to
16640-421: Was the leader of a project team within the LDP that conducted a survey on "excessive sexual education and gender-free education". Among the items to which this team raised objections were anatomical dolls and other curricular materials "not taking into consideration the age of children", school policies banning traditional boys' and girls' festivals, and mixed-gender physical education . The team sought to provide
16770-528: Was unearthed, leading to the government's preparation of the official Kono statement . Japanese Prime Ministers in mid-to-late 1990s regularly issued apologies, and relations reached a brief peak in 1998, when President Kim Dae-jung invited Emperor Akihito to possibly visit Korea (something a Japanese emperor had never done before), while Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi offered his "heartfelt apology" for Japanese colonialism during Kim Dae-jung's visit to Japan. This period saw an increase in trade and tourism between
16900-423: Was used in a number of European maps from the late 18th century to the early 19th century, and that many maps today retain this naming. However, South Korean government has protested that the term "East Sea" has been used in Korea for 2000 years and Japan encouraged the usage of the name "Sea of Japan" while Korea lost effective control over its foreign policy under Japanese imperial expansion. South Korea argues that
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