Published on August 14, 2019.
Based on a dialogue between Masayuki Takayama and Kazuhiko Inoue published in WiLL, this essay discusses the aftermath of the U.S.-North Korea summit, the abduction issue, money issues involving North Korea, South Korea’s claim to have been a victorious nation, MacArthur’s “third nation” statement, diplomat Kubota Kanichiro’s principled argument, the Syngman Rhee Line, the illegal occupation of Takeshima, and the 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and South Korea.
It argues that Japan must clearly state historical truths and sound arguments to North Korea and South Korea.

August 14, 2019.
In 1951, when the San Francisco Peace Treaty was concluded, South Korea also insisted that it be allowed to attend as a victorious nation.
At that time, the United States, Britain, and Japan joined forces and said “No.”
That is the reality of the country called South Korea.
But Japan, like Kubota at that time, must properly state what is right.
This is a chapter I published on June 28, 2018, under that title.
The following is from the special dialogue between Masayuki Takayama and Kazuhiko Inoue published in the latest issue of the monthly magazine WiLL, released the day before yesterday, under the title “The Core of the U.S.-North Korea Summit: Trump’s ‘Praise-to-Death’ Tactic Toward Kim Jong-un Is Amazing.”
WiLL and HANADA, which were released the day before yesterday, are monthly magazines that every Japanese citizen must subscribe to.
Emphasis in the text, other than headings, is mine.
After North Korea comes China — soon Britain’s newest aircraft carrier, the Queen Elizabeth, will head to the South China Sea…
The praise-to-death tactic.
Takayama.
The result of this U.S.-North Korea summit took a form that is very difficult to evaluate.
Inoue.
Certainly, the joint statement did not specify the process of denuclearization, and moreover, the greatest focal point, “complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization,” or CVID, was not stated.
Furthermore, given President Trump’s initial enthusiasm, it is only natural that voices of concern should arise, wondering what his intentions really are, as he unilaterally promised to suspend U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises during the negotiation period and made other concessions.
However, on the other hand, President Trump’s almost embarrassingly lavish praise of Chairman Kim Jong-un can also be seen as a “praise-to-death” tactic that cuts off North Korea’s path of retreat by making it impossible to go back.
Takayama.
To begin with, to a ridiculous country that cannot even pay its travel expenses or hotel bills, Trump is saying, “Japan can pay about one trillion yen, as it has promised.”
Well, in relations with North Korea, the abduction issue and money issues inevitably come up.
The first postwar money issue involving Korea was Syngman Rhee’s demand for wartime reparations immediately after the war.
Even though they had not fought a war, they said, “Give us 2.1 billion dollars.”
Even though South Korea had received so much help from Japan, it said, “No, we had been fighting the whole time.”
“We are a member of the Allied forces,” they said.
Inoue.
What on earth are they talking about?
South Korea was neither part of the Allied forces nor a victorious nation.
Takayama.
Once they say something, they do not listen.
MacArthur was also troubled and said, “Koreans are not a victorious people; they are a third nation.”
Today, if one says “sangokujin,” they criticize it as a derogatory term.
It is not a derogatory term at all.
If they want to complain, they should complain to MacArthur.
Even so, they would not listen.
At last, Japan also responded, “How long are you going to keep saying such foolish things?”
The person who handled that negotiation was the diplomat Kubota Kanichiro, and he said, “Since we did not fight a war, we cannot pay wartime reparations.”
Inoue.
That is exactly right.
Takayama.
When Syngman Rhee’s side, riding on the Cairo Declaration, criticized Japan by saying, “Japan colonially ruled the Korean Peninsula and placed its people in a state of slavery,” Kubota responded, “In Korea, Japan greened the bald mountains, laid railways, built ports, and created paddy fields. For that purpose, Japan spent ten to twenty million yen from the national budget every year to develop the peninsula’s infrastructure, did it not?”
.
Inoue.
They probably do not know that history.
Takayama.
In 1951, when the San Francisco Peace Treaty was concluded, South Korea also insisted that it be allowed to attend as a victorious nation.
At that time, the United States, Britain, and Japan joined forces and said “No.”
That is the reality of the country called South Korea.
Inoue.
After that, they drew the Syngman Rhee Line, a maritime boundary line unilaterally established by South Korea for the division of waters between South Korea and neighboring countries and for the protection of resources and sovereignty, and they seized and attacked Japanese fishing boats.
Moreover, they came to illegally occupy Takeshima.
Takayama.
Because of that, Japan also did not retract the Kubota statement.
South Korea could not back down either.
They wanted money but did not want to bow their heads, and in the end, negotiations were suspended for as long as ten years.
Japan did not mind, but the other side could not afford to continue that way.
In the end, the other side lost patience first.
Inoue.
That was during the presidency of Park Chung-hee.
Takayama.
They withdrew the word “reparations,” changed it to something like “economic cooperation,” and greatly reduced the amount, and in 1965 the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea was concluded.
Even so, when Japan’s foreign exchange reserves were 1.8 billion dollars, Japan paid as much as 500 million dollars.
Based on this history, North Korea too is saying, “Pay one trillion yen.”
But Japan, like Kubota at that time, must properly state what is right.
This article continues.