Meeting with Georgia Senator was marred by Lee’s disturbing comments
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the ruling Democratic Party (DP), suggested that the United States is responsible for the Japanese colonization of Korea and possibly the Korean War in a meeting with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA). Conservatives in South Korea were outraged by his distorted historical views, calling it a diplomatic provocation against Seoul’s key ally.
Former Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung met with Ossoff on November 12 in Seoul and told him that “the reason why South Korea was merged with Japan was due to the United States, which approved of the Taft-Katsura Agreement.” The agreement was made between the United States Secretary of War William Howard Taft and Japanese Prime Minister Katsura Taro in July 1905. They discussed East Asian affairs in the aftermath of Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War. At that time, Katsura observed that the Japanese colonization of Korea was a matter of absolute importance, as he considered Korea a direct cause of the recently concluded Russo-Japanese War.
“South Korea was able to maintain its system because it won the (Korean) War with the support and help from the United States, and we are now acknowledged as an economically developed country,” Lee said. “However, there could be some small shadows behind such a great achievement.”
Lee added that after the Second World War, Korea was divided, not Japan, and said it was an “objective fact” that this caused the Korean War. According to South Korean media reports, Ossof just smiled at Lee’s comment on the Taft-Katsura Agreement and did not comment on the issue.
Lee also mentioned the “Divided Families Reunification Act” introduced in the U.S. Congress. “I heard that U.S. lawmakers are reviewing the bill related to the unification of divided family members in the U.S. Senate,” Lee said. “I know that they have a great interest in human rights and humanitarian issues, so I would like to ask for your support on this issue.”
Lee and Ossoff had a private discussion following the public remarks. Senator Ossoff reportedly asked Lee on how he sees the future of the Korean Peninsula in 10 to 15 years. Lee answered, “it is obviously denuclearization.” He added that the goal is to transform the peninsula into a region where the two Koreas trust each other according to peace policies, as well as cooperation and interaction. He said he hopes to make sure the international community can invest in North Korea with no worries.
“There obviously is distrust between the two Koreas and Pyongyang and Washington, but we need to solve the problem of the stalemate by having talks with North Korea who is concerned about its system,” Lee said. “The United States fought a war against Vietnam and sacrificed many lives, but they improved their relations and became friendly with each other. I think it is not impossible for North Korea [to become like that]. If the containment policy continues, we might get far off towards that path.”
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) released a statement criticizing Lee for apparently accusing the U.S. of permitting Japanese colonization of Korea.
Yang Joon-woo, a spokesperson from the PPP, argued that “mentioning ‘small shadows’ in front of a person from a friendly country is clearly a diplomatic mistake. Yang asked if Lee is going to talk next about the French Navy’s invasion of Korea in 1866 when he meets with the president of France and the Mongolian invasion when he meets with the Mongolian president. “I seriously wonder whether Lee has any sense of diplomatic common sense.”
Yang said that Lee’s previous description of U.S. forces in South Korea as an “occupation army” showed that Lee has distorted historical views or simply is ignorant of foreign affairs.
Meanwhile, Yoon Seok-youl, former Prosecutor General and presidential candidate from the PPP, met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Sen. Jon Ossoff on the same day. “I cannot stress enough the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, not only in terms of conventional national security, but in all areas from health and administration to climate agreements and advanced digital technologies,” Yoon said. He added that a firm alliance between the two countries has become ever more important amid global issues beyond national security, not only for Washington, but also for Seoul.
At a press conference with foreign correspondents in Seoul on Friday, Yoon said, “South Korea is free to upgrade the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system deployed in the country to defend against North Korean missile threats, because such decisions are a sovereign matter.” This is a clear difference with how leftist politicians approached the controversial American anti-missile system, which caused China to economically blockade South Korea after it was installed in 2017.
“I will neutralize North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities by tightening South Korea’s missile defense network system and expanding South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence,” Yoon also said. “If the North Korean leadership decides to do so, I will activate economic assistance and cooperation projects in line with progress in denuclearization.”
Yoon appears to be taking a balanced approach to diplomacy with the North and the United States, something that cannot be said of Lee Jae-myung.
