Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary says South Korea has yet to reply to a request for talks over the issue of wartime laborers from the Korean Peninsula.
In a New Year's address South Korea's President said that Kim Jong Un's recent visit to China is a sign that a second US-North Korea summit is coming closer.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency says North Korean leader has vowed to work toward a good result at a second summit with US President.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190110200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : chief cabinet reply to a request
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_29/
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says South Korea has yet to reply to a request for talks over the issue of wartime laborers from the Korean Peninsula.
The Japanese government on Wednesday asked for talks with South Korea, as stipulated in a 1965 agreement between the two countries.
It took the step after a South Korean court approved a request from a group of plaintiffs who say they were forced to work for a Japanese firm during World War Two.
Early this month, the court ordered the seizure of assets held in South Korea by Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal.
Suga told reporters on Thursday he had been briefed that the Korean ambassador said he would convey Japan's request to his government in a precise manner. Suga added that no reply had been received.
Japan maintains that any right to wartime claims was settled finally and completely in the 1965 agreement, when the two countries normalized ties.
Suga said he thinks relations between Japan and South Korea are quite tense at the moment. He said Japan's position has been consistent, and the government will continue urging South Korea to respond appropriately to various issues between them.
Key words : new year address visit to china
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_33/
In a New Year's address South Korea's President said that Kim Jong Un's visit to China is a sign that a second US-North Korea summit is coming closer. Moon Jae-in said he hopes a visit to Seoul by the North Korean leader will follow.
The half hour address focused mainly on the economy at home and inter-Korean relations.
Moon said the next round of summits would be a turning point that could cement peace on the Korean Peninsula.
After the address he took questions from media where he gave his thoughts on the denuclearization process and what to do about current international sanctions on North Korea.
He said, "Solving the issue of the sanctions imposed on North Korea depends on how the North will follow through with the denuclearization process."
"So, to ease sanctions promptly, I think it is necessary for North Korea to take more aggressive steps to promote denuclearization."
"As the North proceeds, we will have to find corresponding measures to promote denuclearization. It will probably top the agenda at the next US-North Korea summit."
Moon was also asked about the souring relationship with Japan due to a dispute over wartime labor. He said the Japanese government should be more humble on the historical issue.
He said, "South Korean officials have told their Japanese counterparts to solve the issue with wisdom and to not offend our future-oriented relationship."
"But Japanese leaders and lawmakers raise these politically motivated issues and spread them. I don't think it is a smart attitude."
The two countries are at odds over a court ruling in Seoul that ordered a Japanese company to compensate four men who say they were forced to work for it during World War Two.
Last week, a South Korean court approved the seizure of assets from Japanese firm Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal to pay for the ordered compensation.
Key words : senior official criticized
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_43/
A senior official of Japan's Foreign Ministry has criticized South Korean President Moon Jae-in for his remarks on souring bilateral ties over wartime compensation.
Moon said at a news conference on Thursday that the issue should be resolved with shared wisdom.
But the Japanese official said what Moon means by "shared wisdom" is beyond comprehension.
The official said the issue is no longer on such levels, as international law violations remain unresolved.
The bilateral tension arises from a series of South Korean court rulings ordering Japanese firms to pay compensation to Koreans for their wartime labor.
A court has recently approved seizure of assets in South Korea of a Japanese firm involved.
Moon said the Japanese government may be dissatisfied with the rulings, but it needs to be aware that there is nothing that can be done about them.
The Japanese official countered that South Korea must not break a promise made between countries just on grounds of its own domestic system.
The official said Japan is asking for formal talks under a bilateral agreement of 1965, and that is what should be pursued.
Japan maintains that any right to wartime claims was settled completely and finally in the agreement signed in 1965, when Japan and South Korea normalized ties.
Tokyo has repeatedly called on Seoul to take appropriate steps on the rulings and asset seizures on its own responsibility.
Japanese officials are carefully watching how South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and private-sector experts will draw up measures to deal with the situation.
Key words : state-run good result
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_13/
China's state-run Xinhua news agency says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to work toward a good result at a second summit with US President Donald Trump.
Kim was visiting China through Thursday. He held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday and Wednesday in Beijing.
In an initial report on the content of meetings, Xinhua said Xi told Kim he supports a second US-North Korea summit. The Chinese leader reportedly indicated his hope that Pyongyang and Washington would meet each other halfway and resolve their concerns through dialogue.
Kim was quoted as saying Pyongyang will continue to seek denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and try to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue and negotiation.
Kim reportedly called on other countries to respect any reasonable concerns his country has, and to address them proactively so a comprehensive resolution to issues concerning the Korean Peninsula can be reached.
Kim's trip to China was his fourth as North Korea's top leader.
Observers say Kim wanted to bolster ties with China, his country's main supporter, as preparations take shape for a second summit with Trump. They say China wanted to show off its close ties with the North, and to highlight its own profile.
State-run China Central Television aired footage on Wednesday showing Kim visiting a pharmaceutical company in Beijing to see the production of traditional Chinese medicine. Kim was seen with a product in hand, listening to the explanations of employees.
In his New Year address, Kim said North Korea must modernize its own pharmaceutical and medical equipment plants and improve the standards of its medical services.
Observers say Kim wanted to demonstrate his eagerness to raise North Korean living standards.
Key words : trade minister
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_26/
Japan's trade minister says a major deal with the European Union that takes effect in February will serve as a counter to protectionism.
Hiroshige Seko met with the EU's Trade Commissioner ,Cecilia Malmstrom, in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and the European bloc.
Malmstrom described the deal as "important for Europe. It's an important moment when others are questioning the benefits of free, fair, sustainable, mutually beneficial trade."
Seko said, "While the trend of protectionism is growing, the deal between the EU and Japan is going to take effect without much confusion. That will send a strong message to the world."
Seko also met US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, but the two reportedly did not discuss bilateral trade issues. The three trade chiefs later agreed to work more closely to reform the World Trade Organization and create rules on electronic commerce.
Key words : learned arrangement
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_38/
NHK has learned that arrangements are being made for German Chancellor Angela Merkel to visit Japan for two days from February fourth.
The visit would be Merkel's first to Japan since the Group of Seven Ise-Shima summit in 2016.
Sources say Merkel is expected to talk with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about cooperation to strengthen bilateral ties. Both countries support free trade.
The visit is being arranged against the backdrop of rising tension in US-German relations over Washington's protectionist trade policies.
The discussion would likely cover cooperation in such fields as the global economy and artificial intelligence, in view of the G20 summit to be held in Japan in June.
The sources say the leaders will also exchange views on Britain's departure from the European Union scheduled for March.
They add that arrangements are being made for Merkel to also meet Japan's Emperor during her visit.
Key words : Japan provide Indonesia
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Key words : showcasing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_25/
Tech companies from around the world are showcasing products that run on next-generation 5G wireless networks at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. About 4,500 firms are taking part.
South Korean electronics giants Samsung and LG plan to start selling smartphones that can handle the super-fast networks this year. They say users will be able to download ultra-high definition movies in an instant.
5G networks are expected to be the backbone of self-driving vehicle systems, as they are less susceptible to communication lags. Autonomous cars need constant streams of data flowing between their sensors and ones installed along roads.
Chinese electric-vehicle maker Byton has announced it will start producing 5G-compatible vehicles this year.
Analysts say Huawei is the global leader in 5G. But officials in Washington are asking telecom providers in the US and its allied countries not to use the Chinese company's equipment, on security grounds.
Key words : Honda minicar
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_39/
Japanese motorists are going big on small cars. For the second year running they made Honda Motor's N-Box the best-selling vehicle in the country.
Rounding out the top three spots in 2018 were two other minicars. Second place went to Suzuki's Spacia, and third to Nissan's Dayz.
All three cars have engines of just 660cc or smaller.
Industry groups say Honda sold 241,870 N-boxes for the year.
It was one of several minicars that proved a hit with drivers. The pint-sized vehicles took out seven of the top ten places in sales.
The cars are especially popular for their safety features. The other spots went to hybrids or brands that have hybrid models in their lineup, reflecting a consumer preference for vehicles with better fuel economy.
Nissan's compact car, the Note, came in fifth, and was the best-selling passenger car excluding mini vehicles.
It's the first time since industry groups began compiling figures in 1968 that a Nissan model has topped the list.
Key words : New York times newspaper
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190110_41/
Setouchi region with the Inland Sea islands and coastal areas in western Japan have been ranked seventh in The New York Times' list of "52 Places to Go in 2019."
The US newspaper upped the list on Wednesday in its online edition. The annual list is compiled by information from journalists and others across the world.
The US Caribbean island territory of Puerto Rico tops the list, followed by southern India's ancient capital Hampi, and Santa Barbara in California.
The list describes Japan's Setouchi region, ranked seventh, as a place where "art and nature harmonize," highlighted by the opening this April of the Setouchi Trienniale 2019, a major triennial art fair to be held on islands and other sites.
The list also recommends visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which will reopen in April after an eight-year refurbishment. The museum documents the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima in August, 1945.
The list also says "Setouchi is also looking to draw a fresh crop of cyclists, with new trails winding through local citrus and olive groves, and a dedicated Shimanami bike ferry that opened last October."
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