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Kim Yoon (right)

South Korean and Japanese business leaders are demanding that their governments engage in dialogue amid a strain on relations due to Japan’s intensified export controls. Observers are watching to see whether the calls will lead to a change in attitude from Tokyo, which has so far ignored Seoul’s requests to participate in dialogue.

A joint statement urging dialogue between the South Korean and Japanese governments was adopted by business leaders from both sides on Sept. 24 at the closing ceremony of the 51st Korea-Japan Business Conference, held jointly at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul by the South Korea-based Korea-Japan Economic Association and the Japan-based Japan-Korea Economic Association. In the statement, they said, “We strongly desire the development of appropriate measures to open new horizons in South Korea-Japan relations through the encouragement of dialogue between the two governments so that their political and diplomatic relationship does not become a stumbling block to cooperation between companies on both sides.”

In a press conference after the ceremony, Mikio Sasaki, president of the Japan-Korea Economic Association and a special advisor for the Mitsubishi Corporation, said, “We obviously feel it is inappropriate for governments to proceed without addressing this.”

“They should be pursuing dialogue objectively, not responding emotionally,” he added. When asked if he intended to ask the Japanese government to engage in dialogue with the South Korean government, he said, “I intend to amply explain the content of [this] agreement to related Japanese government offices for the sake of both sides’ economic development.”

An earlier discussion also saw participants expressing the hope that the two governments would pursue dialogue and refrain from responding emotionally. Tomoyuki Moriyama, president of Mitsui & Co. Korea, said, “Boycott campaigns by certain local governments and the cancellation of exchange events with Japan have thrown further cold water on relations between the two sides.”

“There needs to be dialogue between the two governments,” he urged. Although his message assigned blame to South Korea for “responding emotionally” with its boycotts and other actions, the conclusion calling for intergovernmental dialogue was the same.

Kim Yoon, president of the Korea-Japan Economic Association and chairman of Samyang Holdings, said, “I’d like for the two governments to improve their relationship, whatever that entails.”

“The boycotts really are unfortunate,” he lamented.

First held in 1969 four years after the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan, the Korea-Japan Business Conference has continued on an annual basis. This year’s event was originally scheduled to take place in May, but was postponed due to souring relations between Seoul and Tokyo before finally being held in Seoul on Sept. 24–25. The next conference is scheduled to take place in Japan in 2020.

By Choi Ha-yan, staff reporter

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