Korea, Japan could use accession of new emperor for expanding ties

Publisher Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post media

President Moon Jae-in sent a message to the new Emperor Naruhito of Japan on May 1, 2019 and congratulated him on his accession. This was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea on the same day.

President Moon was quoted by the Korean news media as saying that he expressed warm congratulations to Emperor Naruhito on his accession and that he looked forward to the new Japanese emperor’ continuing firm footsteps for peace, just like his father, Emperor Akihito, had done.

The Korean Foreign Ministry official also disclosed that President Moon expressed hopes that the new Emperor of Japan will have great interest and affection for the amicable development of Korean- Japanese relations.

Earlier on April 30, 2019, President Moon delivered a message to former Emperor Akihito in appreciation of his role in the promotion and maintenance of good bilateral relations.

In the opinion of many Koreans, especially the conservative camp and among the established generation, efforts should be made to bring the two countries together and work more in concert with other in dealing many problems, bilateral and international.

In particular, Seoul and Tokyo should try to work closer together in dealing with the nuclear weapons of North Korea, which are menace to the ROK, the United States, Japan and to he rest of the world--as well as to North Korea itself.

In dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue, Japan is a staunch ally of the ROK together with the U.S., where close cooperation and coordination among the three countries is essential to keep the Korean peninsular free from the worries of nuclear weapons.

However, the ROK, the U.S. and Japan seem to fail to make Chairman Kim Jong Un feel assured after the removal of nuclear weapons of North Korea.

The United States, Japan and Korea are in a very good position to help North Korea eradicate her nuclear weapons.

However, Chairman Kim appears to feel wary of the situation that might develop when and if he completes eliminate all his nuclear weapons.

After complete denuclearization of North Korea through full implementation of the widely known conditions of complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization, it is very clear to everyone that the three countries, and also other countries of the world, can do a lot of good things for the benefit of the North Koreans.

And it is very important that Korea, the U.S. and Japan closely work together to persuade Chairman Kim that the three countries mean well and assure him that the worrisome results of other countries (such as Libya) will not happen to him.

In a way, in the opinion of some Koreans, Japan can help North Korea recover her all but sunken economy better than the ROK and the U.S.

Japan has an incomparably more sophisticated technology than the ROK as well as final means and therefore is in a much better condition to help North Korea recover her very poor economy.

The most important question is here is how to convince Chairman Kim that what happened to Gathafi will not happen to him.

On the part of North Korea, there is one thing Chairman Kim can do and should do. It is to try to meet the wishes and requirements of the leaders and people of Japan concerning the repatriation of Japanese who are detained in North Korea.

Once this is done, Chairman Kim will be seen as a man who really wants to improve relations with Japan.

There is a common expression often used in North Korea. It is 'Tongkeun Gyeolcheong' which literally translates 'Bold Decisions.' Chairman Kim is in a very good situation with President Moon Jae-in in office.

President Moon's father, Mr. Moon Hyung-yong; was born and lived in Hungnam, Hamgyongbuk-do of North North and so was his mother, Madam Kang Han-ok who also hails from Hungnam in North Korea.

Who would ever wants to see the homes of the old hometown of one? grandparents reduced to ashes?

Chairman Kim of North Korea should try to use this situation of President Moon in the right way.

What President Moon wants to see is a prosperous North Korea where people live well and in peace like their brethren in the South.

And the first step to achieving this is Chairman Kim? full compliance with the conditions of the Free World, CVID (complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantling) of the nuclear weapons in North Korea.

However, in this situation, the most important thing the Free World should do is to succeed to fully persuade Chairman Kim that what happened to Gathafi and other dictators of the world has happened will not happen to him.
However, this is not easy as it may look.

It is because it is not something the countries around the North can do alone.
Efforts should be made jointly by the ROK, the U.S. and other interested countries to see to it that Chairman Kim does not face the fate of Gathafi.

When the ROK and her allies come up with a solution to make Chairman Kim feel assured that he would not face the same fate of Gathafi, it is clear that Kim will come back to the conference table with an easier mind.

Efforts to eliminate misunderstanding and improve relations between North Korea and Japan are very important.

Now back on the topic of Japan, former Emperor Akihito's abdication ends his era, called Heisei, which means 'Achieving Peace,' and it will usher in Emperor Naruhito's new era of Reiwa, which can be translated as ‘Order and Harmony.' Opinion of the Japanese people on the occasion is well reflected in the news comment of The Japan Times on April 8, 2019, which read: What do we want in Reiwa? Many people here in Tokyo wish to rejuvenate the nation again, without aggressive or self-righteous ambitions, as part of the free and open world order and as the oldest liberal democracy in East Asia. How can we accomplish that? This is our most important mission in the new Imperial era of Reiwa.

Emperor Naruhito was born on Feb. 23, 1960 in the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Emperor Naruhito's childhood was reported to be happy, and he enjoyed activities such as mountain climbing, riding and learning the violin. He played with the children of the royal chamberlain, and he was a fan of the Yomiuri Giants in the Central League, his favorite player being No. 3-turned-team manager Shigeo Nagashima.

One day, Naruhito found the remains of an ancient roadway on the palace grounds, sparking a lifelong fascination with the history of transportation, which would provide the subject of his bachelor's and master's degrees in history.

He later said, "I have had a keen interest in roads since childhood. On roads you can go to the unknown world. Since I have been leading a life where I have few chances to go out freely, roads are a precious bridge to the unknown world, so to speak."

In August 1974, when the prince was 14, he was sent to Melbourne, Australia, for a homestay. Naruhito's father, then the Crown Prince Akihito, had a positive experience there on a trip the year before and encouraged his son to go as well. When Naruhito was four years old he was enrolled in the prestigious Gakush in school system, where many of Japan's elite families and narikin (nouveau riche) send their children. In senior high, Naruhito reportedly joined the geography club.

Naruhito graduated from Gakushuin University in March 1982 with a Bachelor of Letters degree in History. In July of the next year he entered a three-month intensive English course before entering Merton College, Oxford University, in the United Kingdom.

While at Oxford, Naruhito also was able to go sightseeing across Europe and meet much of its royalty, including the British royal family.

Naruhito first met Masako Owada at a tea for Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo in November 1986,during her studies at the University of Tokyo. The prince according to reports, was immediately captivated by her, and arranged for them to meet several times over the next few weeks. Because of this, they were pursued relentlessly by the press throughout 1987.

The wedding took place at the Imperial Shinto Hall in Tokyo before 800 invited guests, including many of Europe's heads of state and royalty, and an estimated media audience of 500 million people around the world.

By the time of their marriage, Naruhito's grandfather Emperor Showa (Hirohito) had died and so on Feb. 23, 1991, Naruhito was invested as the Crown Prince with the title Prince Hiro-no-miya.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have one daughter, Aiko.

Naruhito is known to be interested in water policy and water conservation. In March 2003, in his capacity as honorary president of the Third World Water Forum, he delivered a speech at the forum's opening ceremony titled "Waterways Connecting Kyoto and Local Regions".

Visiting Mexico in March 2006, he gave the keynote address at the opening ceremony for the Fourth World Water Forum, "Edo and Water Transport". And in December 2007, he gave a commemorative talk at the opening ceremony for the First Asia-Pacific Water Summit, "Humans and Water: From Japan to the Asia-Pacific Region."
Naruhito plays the viola, having switched from violin because he thought the latter "too much of a leader, too prominent" to suit his musical and personal tastes. He enjoys jogging, hiking, and mountaineering in his spare time.

The first emperor of Japan is Jimmu Tenno, and, according to Google, he was born on Feb. 13, 71 BC and who died on April 9, 585 BC.

The progenitor of Japan is the Sun Goddess of Japan, Amaterasu Omikami.

With the new Emperor of Japan, many people in Korea express hopes that the relations between Korea and Japan with improve--as has been thanks to the minds of the Japanese Royalty largely considered among many Koreans more interested in amicable Korean-Japanese relations than the common people.

Such an attitude was also seen in the congratulatory message of President Moon Jae-in on the accession of Emperor Naruhito.