韓国大統領選 対日・「北」政策を注視したい

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 28, 2012)
How will S. Korea's presidential election affect ties with Japan?
韓国大統領選　対日・「北」政策を注視したい（11月27日付・読売社説）

South Korea's presidential election campaign has officially kicked off. Voting is scheduled for Dec. 19.
　韓国大統領選が告示され、１２月１９日投開票へ向け、選挙戦に入った。

Under the current Lee Myung Bak administration, the country's relations with North Korea and Japan have become severely strained. Will the new administration be able to rectify this situation? The outcome of the race will definitely affect Japan's future.
　李明博政権で冷え込んだ北朝鮮や日本との関係は変わるのか。我が国にも影響を及ぼす重要な選挙だ。

The election, the first in five years, is expected to be a virtual head-to-head battle between Park Geun Hye of the ruling Saenuri Party and Moon Jae In of the main opposition Democratic United Party. It has become a straightforward conservative versus liberal choice after independent Ahn Cheol Soo, who was considered a powerful rival, dropped out of the race. The contest is expected to be a neck-and-neck race.
　５年ぶりの今回選挙は、与党セヌリ党の朴槿恵候補と、最大野党・民主統合党の文在寅候補による事実上の保革一騎打ちだ。有力候補とみられた無所属の安哲秀氏が告示直前に出馬を辞退したためで、接戦が予想されている。

Park, representing the conservative camp, seeks to become the first female president of South Korea. Her father, Park Chung Hee, made the bold decision to normalize relations with Japan and paved the way for the nation's high economic growth during his presidency.
　保守勢力を代表する朴氏は、初の女性大統領を狙う。父親は、日本との国交正常化に踏み切って韓国を高度経済成長路線に導いた故朴正煕大統領である。

Moon, who represents leftists whose origins can be traced back to those who served in the Kim Dae Jung administration, was imprisoned for opposing Park Chung Hee's long authoritarian rule, and has served as a human-rights lawyer and chief secretary of former President Roh Moo Hyun--Lee's predecessor.
　一方、文氏は金大中政権以来の左派の流れをくむ。かつて朴大統領の長期独裁に反対し、投獄された経験を持つ。人権派弁護士として活動し、盧武鉉前大統領の秘書室長を務めた。

Although Park and Moon belong to the same generation, they have contrasting careers and their policies differ widely. We should pay close attention to their verbal battles.
　同世代ながら対照的な経歴の２人は、政策の違いも鮮明だ。激しい論戦を注視したい。

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Economic growth main issue

The campaign's main point of contention will be economic policy.
　最大の争点は、経済政策だ。

Lee has succeeded in significantly boosting South Korea's exports through economic policies based on free trade agreements with the United States, the European Union and other countries. However, his policies have also resulted in a widening rich-poor gap. Unemployment among the younger generation also has become a persistent problem. The South Korean public has strongly criticized Lee for only focusing on big companies.
　李大統領は、米欧などとの自由貿易協定（ＦＴＡ）推進を軸に輸出を大きく伸ばしたが、富裕層と低所得者層の格差が広がった。若者の雇用難が続き、大企業だけを優遇したとの批判が強い。

As a result, both candidates have pledged to narrow the rich-poor gap under the slogan of "economic democratization." Moon, for example, is focusing on reforming chaebols--South Korea's conglomerates--and placing more emphasis on helping ordinary workers. The two candidates will be tested on whether they can come up with concrete measures to ensure the nation's economic growth.
　両候補が共に「経済民主化」で格差是正を掲げるのは、そのためだ。文氏は財閥改革や労働者重視に力点を置く。成長をどう確保するのか、具体策が問われよう。

The second issue will be North Korea.
　第二の争点は、対北朝鮮だ。

Moon has said he will adopt the conciliatory "Sunshine Policy" that the Kim and Roh administrations used in dealing with North Korea, indicating that he was prepared to resume large-scale food and fertilizer aid to the reclusive country. Moon also has declared he wants to hold summit talks between Seoul and Pyongyang next year.
　文氏は、金、盧両政権の対「北」融和政策の継承をうたい、食料や肥料の大規模支援を復活させる意向だ。来年に南北首脳会談を行うと宣言した。

We would like to know how Moon plans to approach North Korea to have that country abandon its nuclear development program.
核放棄をどう迫るのか、明らかにしてもらいたい。

Park said she would not hesitate to hold a summit meeting if it led to better ties between the two countries. However, she is taking a gradual approach on the issue, which is to deter North Korea from taking provocative actions on one hand while working on confidence building on the other. We believe her approach is more practical than Moon's.
　朴氏も「関係発展のためなら」首脳会談を辞さぬ構えだが、北朝鮮の挑発を抑止しつつ、信頼醸成に基づき関係を築く“漸進”主義だ。まだしも現実的と言える。

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Concern over bilateral relations

The two candidates' policies in regard to Japan are also important.
　重要なのは対日政策である。

Japan-South Korea relations deteriorated rapidly after Lee's visit to the Takeshima islands and his call for an apology from the Emperor. The two candidates are in favor of rectifying strained relations with Japan, as they have talked about building "future-oriented" ties between the two countries. Park has also referred to the resumption of FTA negotiations between Japan and South Korea.
　李大統領の竹島訪問と「天皇の謝罪」要求発言で、日韓関係は悪化した。両候補は「未来志向」を口にし、修復に前向きではある。朴氏は、日韓のＦＴＡ交渉の再開にも言及している。

However, Park and Moon both take uncompromising attitudes against Japan on certain issues, such as Takeshima. Moon's stance is especially worrying, as he says he will no longer allow Seoul to continue "quiet diplomacy" on the issue. He also suggested he will pursue Japan's legal responsibility on the issue of so-called comfort women if he becomes president.
　だが、竹島など特定の問題では厳しい立場のままだ。とくに文氏は、竹島問題で「これ以上、静かな外交はしない」と述べる一方、慰安婦問題でも日本政府の法的責任を追及する態度を見せる。

We are concerned that if Moon takes office, he would emulate the diplomacy of the Roh administration, which took an unyielding hard-line stance against Japan and stalled relations between the two countries.
　強硬一辺倒で日韓関係を停滞させた盧武鉉外交の再現になりかねない、との懸念は拭えない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 27, 2012)
（2012年11月27日01時12分 読売新聞）