Japan pushes back against Trump’s plan to include South Korea in G7

Tokyo has reportedly told Washington its dissent over Seoul stems from differences in policy on China and North Korea

Japan and South Korea have been at odds over wartime issues stemming from Tokyo’s colonial rule between 1910 and 1945

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A police officer stands guard near Japanese and South Korean national flags during a 2015 reception to mark the normalising of ties between the two countries. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:41pm, 29 Jun 2020Updated: 11:34pm, 29 Jun 2020

Japan is opposing changes to the Group of Seven (G7) nations as it pushes back against a reform plan by US President Donald Trump that would have rival South Korea join in an expanded meeting this year.

Tokyo has told Washington it stands against the participation of Seoul on the grounds of differences in policy on China and North Korea, Kyodo News reported, citing more than one source related to Ja panese and American diplomacy. Japan also wants to maintain its status as the only Asian country in the group, the news agency added.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Monday said it was important to maintain the framework of the G7 as it was. He added that it was up to the United States, this year’s host, to decide on arrangements for the next meeting. The G7 frequently invites other nations to take part as guests.

Japan has been angered by the present South Korean government’s decision to scrap a bilateral agreement signed in 2015 to provide compensation and an apology to women forced to work in military brothels during Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

Tokyo was further incensed after Korean courts sided with former forced labourers put to work at Japanese industrial sites, ruling that Japanese corporations should pay them compensation. The assets of one Japanese firm in Korea have been seized by the court and are due to be distributed in early August.