JAPAN TIMES


 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will not send any Cabinet minister to an annual ceremony for the Takeshima islets, now under effective control of South Korea, in Shimane Prefecture, sources have said.

As usual, the Cabinet Office's parliamentary vice minister will attend the Takeshima Day ceremony to highlight the Japanese claim on the group of islets in the Sea of Japan, called Dokdo by South Korea, government sources said Monday.

The prefectural government and other local bodies are scheduled to organize this year's ceremony in Matsue on Sunday.

During last year's race for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidency, Takaichi argued that the central government should have a Cabinet minister take part in the ceremony regardless of a possible backlash from Seoul.

Now that she has become prime minister, however, Takaichi is trying to further improve ties with the neighboring East Asian country.

She agreed with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to forge future-oriented bilateral relations in their first-ever summit in the South Korean city of Gyeongju last October and had a drumming session with Lee after their second summit in Nara, Takaichi's hometown, in January.

In view of China, Russia and North Korea strengthening cooperation and the United States demanding its allies boost defense spending, Tokyo and Seoul also find it important to enhance their security partnership.

As part of such effort, the Air Self-Defense Force — in an unprecedented move — supplied fuel to South Korean Air Force aircraft last month.