Japan PM Takaichi vows stronger security and economic ties with South Korea
Version 2: More Korean outlets carried the speech, adding the growth strategy plan's 17 strategic fields and 62 products, a goal of steadily lowering government debt relative to GDP, and her framing of the speech as building a growth cycle after nearly 30 years of deflation.
In short
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae told an extraordinary Diet session on Oct. 5 that South Korea is an important neighbour and that Japan will strengthen ties with it in security, the economy and other broad fields, including within the US-Japan-South Korea framework. She said Japan would pursue strategic, mutually beneficial relations with China while asserting its position on East China Sea and South China Sea issues, and repeated that North Korea's nuclear and missile development cannot be tolerated. On the economy she reaffirmed a “responsible proactive fiscal” stance, saying the planned food and beverage consumption tax cut would not rely on deficit-covering bonds and that annual government bond issuance would be managed, while a Japan growth strategy implementation plan covering 17 strategic fields and 62 products is to be drawn up within the year.
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Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said in a policy speech at an extraordinary Diet session on Oct. 5 that South Korea is an important neighbour and that Japan will strengthen relations with it in security, the economy and broad fields, including within the US-Japan-South Korea framework. Dong-A Ilbo, citing NHK, said the speech was her second since taking office and was delivered at a plenary session of the House of Representatives. Hankook Ilbo said it came as she marked one year in office, having taken office on Oct. 21 last year; Yonhap did not give those dates. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 ]
On China, she called it an important neighbour and said Japan would comprehensively pursue a strategically mutually beneficial relationship, while asserting its position on East China Sea and South China Sea issues, military activity around Japan, coercive measures, the safety of Japanese nationals and human rights concerns. Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily reported she said the abduction issue with North Korea is an ongoing human rights problem and that Japan would work for an early resolution without ruling out any options, including a summit, while never tolerating North Korea's nuclear and missile development. She also said the northern territories are Japan's inherent territory historically and under international law, and that Tokyo would keep to its policy of resolving the territorial issue and concluding a peace treaty with Russia. Yonhap reported that on US sanctions against International Criminal Court president Akane Tomoko, she said Japan would maintain and strengthen an international order based on the rule of law. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
On the economy, she reaffirmed a “responsible proactive fiscal” stance that pairs growth investment with fiscal soundness. She said the food and beverage consumption tax cut she aims to pass in the current Diet session would be funded without issuing deficit-covering bonds, and that annual government bond issuance would be managed while the government monitors the economy, prices, tax revenue, interest rates and market conditions. Seoul Economic Daily reported a goal of steadily lowering central and local government debt relative to GDP. Hankook Ilbo reported that her proactive spending and tax cuts have drawn criticism for weakening the yen and raising long-term interest rates. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
She said a “Japan growth strategy implementation plan,” setting out the direction of investment in Japan over the next five years, would be compiled within the year, covering growth investment in 17 strategic fields and 62 products. Dong-A Ilbo reported she said Japan must break out of nearly 30 years of deflation and low interest rates and build a growth cycle of corporate investment, higher wages and consumption, and that she would boldly pursue crisis-management investment and growth investment. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 7 ]
Before the speech, she addressed the arrest of a US Marine stationed in Okinawa over an attack on a local woman the previous day, saying the Japanese government protests strongly to the United States and has demanded full cooperation with the investigation, discipline for US military personnel and thorough measures to prevent a recurrence. Yonhap described the allegation as robbery and murder, while Hankook Ilbo described it as killing a woman. [ 1 , 2 ]
Korean business outlets carried the speech under headlines centred on her South Korea remarks. The article text available for Korea Economic Daily and Newsis concerned unrelated stories, so only their headlines could be read. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Why it matters
Takaichi's stated intention to strengthen ties with Seoul in security and the economy, including within the US-Japan-South Korea framework, points to continued momentum in trilateral cooperation that matters to readers across the region. Her pledges not to issue deficit-covering bonds for the tax cut and to control bond issuance are addressed to financial markets worried about Japanese fiscal expansion, a concern Korean business outlets raised. Her passages on China, North Korea and Russia set expectations for those relationships.
Key facts
- Takaichi said South Korea is an important neighbour and that Japan will deepen relations with it in security, the economy and broad fields, including within the US-Japan-South Korea framework. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 ]
- She called China an important neighbour and said Japan would push strategic, mutually beneficial relations while asserting its position on East China Sea and South China Sea issues, military activity around Japan, the safety of Japanese nationals and human rights concerns. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said the abduction issue with North Korea is an ongoing human rights problem and Japan would seek a resolution without ruling out any options, including a summit, while never tolerating North Korea's nuclear and missile development. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said the northern territories are Japan's inherent territory historically and under international law, and that Tokyo would keep to its policy of resolving the territorial issue and concluding a peace treaty with Russia. [ 1 , 4 ]
- She said funding for the planned food and beverage consumption tax cut would be secured without issuing deficit-covering bonds, and that annual government bond issuance would be managed appropriately. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- She said a “Japan growth strategy implementation plan,” setting out the direction of investment in Japan over the next five years and covering 17 strategic fields and 62 products, would be drawn up within the year. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said the Japanese government protested strongly to the United States over the arrest of a US Marine in Okinawa and demanded full cooperation with the investigation, discipline for US military personnel and prevention of a recurrence. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reported, citing NHK, that she said Japan must break out of nearly 30 years of deflation and low interest rates and build a growth cycle of corporate investment, higher wages and consumption, and that she would pursue “crisis-management investment” and “growth investment.” [ 7 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Takaichi said in her policy speech that South Korea is an important neighbour and that she would strengthen relations with it in security and the economy, including within the US-Japan-South Korea framework. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 ]
- She said Japan would press its position with China on East China Sea and South China Sea issues and on military activity around Japan while pursuing a strategically mutually beneficial relationship. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said North Korea's nuclear and missile development cannot be tolerated and that Japan would work for an early resolution of the abduction issue without ruling out any options, including a summit. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- She said Japan would keep to its policy of resolving the territorial issue with Russia and concluding a peace treaty, calling the northern territories Japan's inherent territory. [ 1 , 4 ]
- She said the food and beverage consumption tax cut would be funded without deficit-covering bonds and that annual government bond issuance would be managed to win market trust. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- She said she protested strongly to the United States over the arrest of a US Marine in Okinawa and demanded full cooperation with the investigation, discipline for US military personnel and steps to prevent a recurrence. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- The charge against the US Marine arrested in Okinawa. Yonhap describes the case as an allegation of robbery and murder, while Hankook Ilbo describes it as an allegation of killing a woman; neither details the victim or the investigation.
- Whether the food and beverage consumption tax cut will pass. Yonhap says only that the government aims for passage during the current extraordinary Diet session, and no document reports a vote or passage.
- The exact time the speech was delivered. All documents say the speech took place on Oct. 5, but none gives an hour; the publication times of the reports run from 16:44 to 21:19 local time.
- The full coverage by Korea Economic Daily and Newsis. Both outlets published headlines about the speech, but the article text available for them concerned unrelated stories, so only their headlines could be used.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap publishes the first report seen on Takaichi's policy speech, which it says she delivered that day at the extraordinary Diet session. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo publishes its report on the speech, adding market concerns about the yen and long-term rates. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its report on the speech. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily publishes its report, adding details of the growth strategy plan, the 17 strategic fields and 62 products, and the debt-to-GDP target. [ 4 ]
- Korea Economic Daily publishes a headline about the speech. [ 5 ]
- Newsis publishes a headline about the speech. [ 6 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo publishes its report, citing NHK on the speech as her second since taking office. [ 7 ]