女性大統領誕生 未来見据えた日韓関係構築を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 22, 2012)
S. Korea's new president must seek future-oriented ties with Japan
女性大統領誕生　未来見据えた日韓関係構築を（12月21日付・読売社説）

South Koreans have chosen their country's first female president. We hope she will break through new frontiers and exercise leadership in such matters as revitalization of the country's economy and rebuilding relations with Japan.
　韓国初の女性大統領の誕生である。経済の再生や、日韓関係の再構築などで指導力を発揮して、新しい時代を切り開いてもらいたい。

Park Geun Hye of the ruling Saenuri Party was elected in a closely fought presidential election, defeating rival candidate Moon Jae In of the Democratic United Party, the largest opposition party.
　韓国大統領選で、与党セヌリ党の朴槿恵氏が最大野党・民主統合党の文在寅氏との接戦を制し、当選した。

The key issues during the election campaign were economic problems, including measures to reduce the widening income gap and unemployment.
　選挙戦の最大の争点は、格差是正や雇用など経済問題だった。

While Moon emphasized tighter control over family-run conglomerates, Park placed weight on economic growth and securing employment for young people.
　財閥への規制強化に力点を置く文氏に対し、朴氏は、経済成長の維持と、若者などの雇用確保を重視した。

We can safely conclude South Korean voters chose economic growth and more employment, rather than restricting the activities of major corporations, which are the locomotive of the country's exports.
有権者は、輸出を担う大企業の締め付けより、成長と雇用拡大を望んだと言える。

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Small business measures key

South Korea is now among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of trade volume, due partly to its efforts to promote free trade agreements with the United States, the European Union and others. However, this has not resulted in an increase of jobs. Reinforcing and nurturing small and midsize enterprises, which are crucial to employment, are important issues.
　韓国は、米欧などとの自由貿易協定（ＦＴＡ）推進を軸に貿易額で世界トップ１０入りしたが、それが雇用増にはつながっていない。雇用の受け皿となる中小企業の強化や育成が重要な課題だ。

There were also great differences in the approaches of the two candidates to North Korea.
　対北朝鮮政策でも、両候補の違いは目立った。

Moon pledged to unconditionally restart large-scale food and fertilizer assistance programs to the North and have summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, next year. His policy is a return to the "sunshine policy" pursued by left-wing administrations.
　文氏は、北朝鮮への食料、肥料などの大規模支援を、無条件で再開し、金正恩・朝鮮労働党第１書記との首脳会談を来年中に行うと公約した。左派政権時代の太陽政策に回帰しようとするものだ。

In contrast, conservative Park also showed a willingness to reopen dialogue with North Korea, but said full-fledged assistance programs must come after a relationship of trust had been built up between the two countries. Her policy follows the footsteps of the current administration, which has demanded that North Korea take concrete actions to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
　これに対し、保守派の朴氏は、南北対話再開に前向きな姿勢は見せたが、本格的な支援は信頼関係構築が前提、とした。北朝鮮に非核化への具体的な取り組みを求める現行路線を踏襲している。

North Korea is still pursuing its nuclear and missile development programs, as was seen in the recent launch of a long-range ballistic missile despite calls by the international community to cancel it.
　北朝鮮は、長距離弾道ミサイル発射を強行するなど、依然、核・ミサイル開発を進めている。

The victory of Park, who has vowed to take a stern attitude toward North Korea through cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States, is a welcome development for Japan.
北朝鮮に日米韓の連携強化で厳しく臨もうとする朴氏の当選は、日本にとっても歓迎できるものだ。

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Repair bilateral ties

Park is the daughter of former President Park Chung Hee, who braved strong opposition within the country to normalize relations with Japan in 1965 and led the country on a rapid economic growth path, dubbed the "Miracle of the Hanggang river." During the election campaign, Park gave prominence to relations with Japan, including the conclusion of an economic partnership agreement.
　朴氏は、１９６５年に国内の強い反対を押し切って日韓国交正常化を断行し、韓国を「漢江の奇跡」と呼ばれる高度経済成長路線に導いた朴正煕大統領の娘である。選挙戦では、経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）の推進など、日本との関係を重視していく立場を打ち出した。

Many issues are common to both Japan and South Korea, such as low birthrates and aging populations as well the handling of North Korea and China, which is expanding economically and militarily.
　少子高齢化対策、北朝鮮や膨張する中国への対応など、日韓共通の課題は多い。

Liberal Democratic Party President Shinzo Abe congratulated Park on her victory. "I hope to deepen bilateral relations further from a broad perspective by maintaining close contacts," said Abe, whose administration will be launched next week.
　自民党の安倍総裁は「緊密に意思疎通を行うことで、大局的な観点から日韓両国の関係をさらに深化させていきたい」と朴氏当選を祝うコメントを発表した。日本でも来週、安倍政権が発足する。

We hope the two incoming leaders will initially work toward repairing the Japan-South Korean relationship, which deteriorated to the worst-ever level when President Lee Myung Bak visited the Takeshima islands and demanded for an "apology by the Emperor" to victims of Japan's past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
　日韓の両首脳にはまず、李明博大統領の竹島訪問と「天皇の謝罪」要求発言で最悪になった日韓関係の修復を図ってもらいたい。

Of course, there is little ground for optimism, but they need to make efforts to avoid issues of history from negatively impacting on the two nations any further.
　楽観は禁物だが、歴史問題がこれ以上、両国に否定的な影響を与えぬよう双方の努力が必要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 21, 2012)
（2012年12月21日01時29分  読売新聞）