Fear of Japan’s regression

LDP’s return to power must not undermine peace

Dark clouds are gathering in Northeast Asia as Japan’s conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) returned to power Sunday. The party’s hawkish former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will get a second chance to lead Japan after his one-year stint from 2006 to 2007.

The LDP, which ruled Japan for most of the post-World War II era until it was ousted in 2009 by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), won 294 seats in the 480-seat lower house. Together with New Komeito, the LDP secured a two-thirds majority, which is enough to override the upper house in which no party has overall control.

With the victory, Japan’s rightward shift is expected to gain further momentum amid the two-decade economic slump, raising fears about armed clashes due to a territorial dispute with China over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that Japan calls Senkaku and China calls Diaoyu.

While it’s true Japanese voters’ choice must be respected, Korea, as Japan’s neighboring country, has to be concerned about the possible negative influence Abe’s reemergence will have on peace in the region and, in particular, the relationship between Seoul and Tokyo.

This is a reasonable concern, given Abe’s tough talk before the election. In its campaign platform, the right-wing party made anachronistic pledges on security and diplomacy, including a vow to revise the Peace Constitution to “clarify the rights of self-defense and legislate basic laws on national security.’’

Most worrisome is that the conflict between China and Japan will be more intense after Abe, considered one of the more conservative figures in the increasingly conservative LDP, takes office. In connection with the territorial spat, the party pledged to “study the stationing of public servants on the disputed islands,’’ which is fiercely opposed by Beijing.

No wonder relations between Seoul and Tokyo will undergo more severe tests, considering the LDP called for upgrading the status of Takeshima Day in what appears to be the party’s move to make Dokdo a disputed area. The LDP also clarified its intention to deny the existence of the coercion of Asian women into sexual slavery during World War II.

What matters most is there is high probability that Abe will translate his hostile pledges into action. In this case, Abe and his new cabinet will try to use the United States to defend Japan’s existing effective rule over the islands against China.

Now that the election is over, Abe could soften his campaign pledges. But should he cling to his platform, doubts will be raised whether Japan deserves to be the world’s third largest economy.

The LDP must know that the result was not a strong endorsement of the LDP. In this respect, remarks by a Japanese political expert are quite suggestive: “It was not a landslide for the LDP but a crushing defeat for the DPJ.’’

To be sure, Japan’s rapid conservative swing will be the first tough challenge for our new president who will be elected Wednesday and this is why we hope for someone armed with wisdom and insight. <The Korea Times>