at 18:30 (JST), July 20

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/20220720183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : japan and south outstanding first time
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220718_15/

The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea held a meeting in Tokyo on Monday. They are believed to have discussed ongoing bilateral issues.

Hayashi Yoshimasa and his South Korean counterpart Park Jin met for the first time since President Yoon Suk-yeol took office in May.

The Yoon administration has expressed its commitment to improving relations with Japan. Analysts say ties between the two countries are at their lowest point in the postwar period.

Park is the first South Korean foreign minister to visit Japan since a foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 nations in Nagoya three years ago.

Monday's meeting, including a working dinner, lasted more than two-and-a-half hours.

Details have yet to be disclosed but the two are believed to have exchanged opinions on wartime labor, those referred to as comfort women, and other outstanding bilateral issues.

Park is also believed to have offered his condolences regarding former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, who was fatally shot while giving an election campaign speech earlier this month.

Park will be in Japan until Wednesday. Officials from the two countries are currently arranging a meeting between Park and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

Key words : 20 minutes assets world war
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220719_28/

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has asked South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin to make efforts to resolve outstanding bilateral issues.

Relations between the two countries are said to be at their lowest since the end of World War Two.

Kishida met Park for about 20 minutes on Tuesday at the prime minister's office in Tokyo. Park is visiting Japan for the first time since he assumed his post in May.

Park conveyed to Kishida condolences from South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, who was fatally shot during an election campaign speech this month.

Kishida expressed gratitude and requested efforts by South Korea to solve pending problems such as the wartime labor issue.

After the talks, Park spoke to South Korean media. He said he told Kishida he would work to seek a desirable solution before assets seized from Japanese firms are liquidated to compensate those who say they or their relatives were forced to work for the companies during World War Two. He also reportedly told Kishida that he hopes for a sincere response from Japan.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu told reporters that the Kishida-Park meeting was arranged after South Korea asked to directly convey condolences from Yoon on Abe's death. Matsuno said there were no detailed discussions on issues of bilateral concern.

Matsuno added that the start of the meeting was closed to media to follow treatment of other nations' foreign ministers who paid courtesy calls to Kishida to express condolences in a solemn atmosphere.

Key words : china developer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220720_04/

People in China feel uneasy about the future of the real-estate industry in their country as construction of some housing developments are stalled due to developers' financial difficulties.
Increasing numbers of homebuyers are refusing to make mortgage payments, demanding resumption of construction on the housing they bought.

China is seeing a sharp economic slowdown following the government's zero-COVID policy and other factors. Many property developers are cash-strapped and they have had to suspend or delay work on their housing projects.

The trend toward halting mortgage payments started spreading in late June. A private think tank says about 200 properties in more than 70 cities are being affected as of July 16.

Financial institutions in China said the situation was not serious and announced that loans for unfinished housing are limited. China's financial regulators also pledged to work to address the situation, apparently to avoid further confusion.

Key words : hanyu decision china
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220720_01/

Chinese media have reported Hanyu Yuzuru's retirement from competitive figure skating as top news. Japan's "Ice Prince" has long been hugely popular there.

China's state-run media reported Hanyu's announcement as breaking news, and online media held live coverage of his news conference.

The news topped online search rankings on Chinese social networking giant Weibo.

About 2.8 million people follow an account on Weibo which posts information about Hanyu. Some messages on the account regretted his retirement from competitive skating. But others said "This is not the end, but a new beginning" and expressed expectations for "Hanyu Yuzuru as a professional skater."

A 33-year-old woman in Beijing said Hanyu was trying to perfect very high level skills. She said she wanted him to make more records, so she is sad. She said she wants him to achieve his dream in professional ice skating shows.

A 44-year-old woman said her children know about Hanyu and had been watching his competitions. She said the decision to retire was probably due to his physical condition and injuries. She said she hopes he will teach skating to children and do whatever he wants.

Key words : hong kong freedom of speech
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20220629113135170/

The promise of freedom of speech continues to be questioned in Hong Kong two years after a controversial national security law shut down news outlets critical of the government. This story explores the journeys of two reporters after they lost their jobs.