The Tokyo Olympics is the perfect stage for countries to improve relations but the remarks of one Japanese official may have endangered potential talks with South Korea.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in scrapped plans to attend the Tokyo Summer Olympics where he would meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. This came about after the remarks of one Japanese official who said that the Korean president would be pleasuring himself if he were to meet with Suga.
The Japanese official was identified as Hirohisa Soma. The Japanese ambassador was reprimanded but the absurd comment was pretty hard to tolerate.
“President Moon is masturbating himself,” Soma was heard saying to a reporter at a South Korean cable news station. “Japan does not have the time to care so much about the relationship between the two countries as South Korea thinks.”
Before the inappropriate comments were made, Seoul and Tokyo had already held meaningful discussions on historical issues. However, the Blue House still deemed this as insufficient. Suga regretted the comments made by Soma and branded them as inappropriate.
“They are extremely inappropriate remarks,” Suga stated. “Regardless, we want to firmly communicate with the South Korean side … to bring the Japan-South Korean relationship to a sound place.”
According to reports, it appears the reprimand meted to Soma may not be enough. An unnamed government source claims that Soma will be relieved of his role due to his insensitive remark.
Japan and South Korea are already dealing with disputes that include the issue of wartime sexual slavery and forced labor victims dating back to the time of Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945), Japan's export restrictions on Korea and Tokyo's planned discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
The Tokyo Olympics are set to start on Friday with Hwang Hee, Seoul’s sports and culture minister, leading their country’s delegation.
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