at 18:30 (JST), June 28

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/20230628183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : south welcome
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230627_36/

South Korea's presidential office has welcomed Japan's reinstatement of South Korea to its list of countries with preferential trade status which allows simplified export procedures.

Presidential office spokesperson Lee Do-woon said Tuesday the reinstatement is a symbolic measure which shows that bilateral trust has been restored and uncertainties over trade have been eliminated.

Lee noted the move came as the leaders of Japan and South Korea resumed shuttle diplomacy and economic cooperation has become more active. He added that Seoul hopes exchanges between corporations of the two countries will accelerate.

Seoul's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement that the bilateral trust over export controls has been fully restored. It said the two countries' authorities have held intensive trade policy talks since President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Japan in March.

The ministry said South Korea will continue to push for close cooperation with Japan on various bilateral and multilateral trade issues.

Earlier in the day, Japan's Cabinet approved restoring South Korea to the preferential trade status list. In 2019, Tokyo tightened export controls against Seoul and removed it from the list of preferential trade status countries, citing security concerns.

Key words : researcher sword
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230627_22/

An iron sword from the fourth century, unearthed at an ancient burial mound in western Japan, was shown to the media for the first time, after preservationists finished cleaning one side of its blade.

The snake-like, wavy sword is more than 2.3 meters long. It was discovered last December at the Tomio Maruyama Tumulus in Nara City.

It was found alongside a shield-shaped bronze mirror. The mound dates back to the latter half of the fourth century.

The sword is the longest one of its kind ever found in Japan. It is also said to be the longest of all the contemporary swords unearthed in East Asia.

It is undergoing preservation work at the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara in Nara Prefecture.

The sword's snake-like shape is clearly visible now that the soil and rust have been removed. Parts of the sword's wooden sheath and hilt can be seen, as well.

If a viewer looks closely at the surface of the sheath and hilt, red pigment on a layer of black lacquer can be observed.

After the other side of the sword has been cleaned, researchers will try to determine where the red pigment and the wood used to make the sheath came from.

Key words : civic group
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230627_35/

A civic group including atomic bomb survivors has asked Hiroshima City to suspend a plan to establish sister ties between its memorial park and that of Pearl Harbor in the United States.

Representatives of Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in the US state of Hawaii are set to sign a sister park agreement on Thursday.

The group of 10 organizations including the Hiroshima Congress against A- and H-Bombs submitted a petition on Tuesday.

It says Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and the US bombing of Hiroshima are not things that the two sides have forgiven each other for, but historical lessons that should never be repeated.
It also says the aim of establishing sister ties between the parks is unclear.

The group argues that the decision was made abruptly without discussion involving citizens and atomic bomb survivors. It calls for suspending the signing and holding thorough discussions involving various parties.

Hiroshima officials say the US side proposed the arrangement in the run-up to the Group of Seven summit held in the city in May.

They say they will go ahead with the signing as planned, but will discuss with their American counterparts how to promote the ties, taking citizens' opinions into consideration.

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in late 1941 marked the beginning of the Japan-US war. The Hiroshima park memorializes the US atomic bombing of the city near the end of the war in 1945.

Key words : kaneko misuzu
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