at 18:30 (JST), May 08

Asian View
"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.





https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20230508183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Kishida yoon wrap
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_15/

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says he wants to further strengthen ties with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and open a new era together.

Kishida spoke to reporters in Seoul on Monday morning after wrapping up his official schedule in South Korea. This is his first visit to the country as prime minister.

In Sunday's summit talks, he agreed with Yoon that moves to improve bilateral ties are back on track. They also confirmed they will strengthen security cooperation in light of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

After the meeting, Kishida attended a dinner at Yoon's official residence.

Kishida said he and Yoon had meaningful talks at Sunday's dinner, and this has helped to deepen mutual trust.

The prime minister also referred to the G7 summit that will open in Hiroshima next week.

Kishida said he wants to use the opportunity to confirm that the Group of Seven major countries will work together to continue tough sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine. He said he also wants to confirm the group's unwavering solidarity with Ukraine.

Kishida also expressed hope that sufficient talks can be held about challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including the situation in East Asia.

Key words : thailand general election
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230507_15/

People in Thailand are set to vote in a general election on May 14. The largest opposition party is leading polls in the final stage of the campaign.

The Southeast Asian country has been ruled by the military-linked government since a coup nine years ago. The election will choose 500 members of the lower house of parliament.

Poll results released on May 3 show the largest opposition Pheu Thai Party is leading with a support rate of 38.3 percent. The party is affiliated with ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Pheu Thai Party has fielded the former prime minister's daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as its candidate for prime minister. It is gaining support by calling for raising the minimum wage.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has joined a new party to retain his post. The United Thai Nation Party has a support rate of 12.1 percent.

The survey also shows that 34 percent of the respondents say they will vote for the Move Forward Party. The opposition group is gaining support from young voters.

All eyes are on whether the election will see a change of Thailand's military-linked government.

Key words : india 21 people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_16/

At least 21 people have reportedly died after a boat capsized in India.

It happened off the coastal town of Tanur in the Malappuram district of India's southern state of Kerala on Sunday.

Reuters news agency reported that the boat was carrying about 40 passengers and capsized because it was overcrowded.

The news agency says the death toll may rise. It says the overturned boat got stuck in muddy waters and was being pulled out to rescue those still trapped inside.

Key words : low-level infectious
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_22/

Japan has officially downgraded COVID-19 to a low-level infectious disease, ranking it alongside the seasonal flu. The change means the government can no longer legally restrict public movement.

It also has implications for business. And one place where that's already clear is convenience stores.

The operators of the Lawson, Seven-Eleven and FamilyMart chains wasted no time responding to the change.

They say they're giving individual outlets the freedom to set their own policies on masks, hand sanitizers and partitions.

Staff at this Lawson store in Tokyo have already taken down posters asking customers to practice distancing and take their change from the tray. Some attendants are now working unmasked.

They have also taken down the plastic dividers from the counters and removed hand sanitizers from the entrance.

The manager says things are flowing more smoothly again, and hopefully that means a bump in sales.

Key words : two relatives washington
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230508_01/

Two relatives of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea say they gained understanding and support from senior US officials for their stance of seeking early return of the remaining abductees.

Yokota Takuya and Iizuka Koichiro spoke on Sunday after returning to Japan from a series of meetings with US figures in Washington.

Yokota heads a group of Japanese abductees' families and is the younger brother of abductee Yokota Megumi. Iizuka is the son of abductee Taguchi Yaeko.

They met senior US officials such as National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman as well as members of Congress.

Yokota and Iizuka revealed that they spent much time explaining to the US side that the group will not object to the Japanese government providing humanitarian assistance to North Korea if all the remaining abductees are repatriated to Japan while parents are alive.

The group unveiled the stance for the first time earlier this year, urging the Japanese government to redouble its efforts to bring the remaining abductees back home. The group also called on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to immediately allow all the abductees to return home.

Only two of the missing abductees' parents are alive, the father of Arimoto Keiko and the mother of Yokota Megumi. Arimoto's father is in his 90s while Yokota's mother is in her late 80s.

Yokota and Iizuka also disclosed that Sherman expressed her intention to work with the Japanese government to hold an official meeting on North Korea's human rights record at the UN Security Council.

Yokota said the US side did not oppose his group's posture of placing priority on having the abduction issue resolved while allowing it to be handled separately from North Korea's nuclear and missile matters.

He said the visit to the US is nothing but a simple milestone and that he hopes Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will take specific steps toward bringing the remaining abductees back home.

The Japanese government says at least 17 citizens were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. Five returned in 2002, but the other 12 are still unaccounted for.

Key words : foreign minister china and russia 40 percent
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230506_06/

The foreign ministers of a major forum led by China and Russia have discussed security and the economy in Goa, southern India.

The eight members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization also include Pakistan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian nations.

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the group accounts for 40 percent of the global population, adding that they have the collective power to impact the world with their decisions.

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang reportedly expressed opposition to external forces interfering in regional issues. The comment is widely seen as a reference to the United States.

Beijing and Moscow seek stronger unity within the forum, apparently to counter Washington.

At the same time, India maintains ties with the West. The country is a member of the Quad framework with the United States, Japan and Australia.

Key words : paraguay agreed work together
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230506_11/

Japan's foreign minister and Paraguay's new president have agreed that the two nations will work together to reinforce the international order based on the rule of law.

Hayashi Yoshimasa visited Paraguay on Friday on the last leg of his five-nation trip to Latin America and the Caribbean. He spoke with president-elect Santiago Pena for about an hour.

Hayashi said Paraguay is a longtime friend of Japan with the 10,000 people of Japanese descent in the country and an important partner that shares values and principles. He said he wants to continue to strengthen bilateral ties with the incoming Pena administration.

Pena won last Sunday's presidential election, and his campaign included a pledge to maintain ties with Taiwan.

Paraguay is the only remaining country in South America to have diplomatic ties with Taiwan despite China's increasing assertiveness.

Hayashi also met with Paraguay's foreign minister Julio Cesar Arriola Ramirez earlier in the day.

Regarding Japan-China diplomacy, Hayashi said Japan will assert its position and ask Beijing for accountable behavior, while seeking bilateral cooperation in tackling common challenges.

Arriola voiced his support for Japan's efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Hayashi said in an online news conference he will take into consideration what he heard from each country to prepare for the discussions at the G7 Hiroshima Summit, slated for two weeks from now.

Key words : developed textbook
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230506_13/

A Japanese organization has developed a textbook for people from Ukraine, to help them learn the Japanese language.

The material has been developed by the Association for Japanese-Language Teaching, which helps refugees and others to learn the language.

The textbook focuses on everyday conversation, such as greetings and useful phrases for shopping.

Learners can also listen to dialogue on their smartphones.

The textbook also explains Japanese signs for elevators and vending machines with photos, and gives an introduction to Japanese culture.

The association has produced 2,500 copies of the book to distribute to evacuees from Ukraine for free.

It hopes the learning material will help them live independently in Japan.

Sekiguchi Akiko, who heads the association, says she believes the materials will help evacuees become confident they can learn Japanese, even if they have no access to language lessons.