GOV’T & PPP TOUT YOON’S VISIT TO JAPAN

[Anchor Lead]

The presidential office assessed President Yoon's recent trip to Japan a "huge success" that opened up Japan's door. The presidential spokesman also mentioned Prime Minister Kishida's positive response. The government and the ruling party agreed to publicize the new cooperative relationship between Korea and Japan, whereas the opposition party continued their stance by calling the trip the most subservient diplomacy in history and a diplomatic disaster

[Pkg]

Following Saturday's press release, the top office held a presidential spokesman's press conference on Sunday to continue publicizing the outcomes of President Yoon's visit to Japan. The top office claimed that if diplomacy is all about reaching out to a country and changing the structure of the relationship, the visit to Japan was a great success because President Yoon did just that. The government's publicity campaign involved even anecdotes of hotel and airport employees with some Japanese residents applauding President Yoon. The presidential spokesman mentioned Prime Minister Kishida's positive response.

[Soundbite] Lee Do-woon(Presidential Spokesperson) : "There’s been a lot of attention on Pres. Yoon so far, but I hope that PM Kishida can enjoy the same attention through Japan’s follow-up measures."

This stance from the top office was in response to the criticism that Japan didn't show sincere enough response even when former People Power Party emergency committee chair Chung Jin-suk met with lawmakers from Japan's Liberal Democratic Party before the Seoul-Tokyo summit and asked for their cooperation. The Top Office said that it is well aware that some Koreans are critical of the visit but also accused the opposition party of trying to politicize minor issues. The officials of the ruling bloc and the government agreed to publicize the new cooperative relationship between Korea and Japan at the first meeting held since Kim Gi-hyeon was elected PPP leader.

[Soundbite] Kim Gi-hyeon(Chair, People Power Party) : "I will do my best to come up with follow-up measures so that people can actually feel the result of the S. Korea-Japan summit."

However, the Democratic Party kept criticizing the president, saying that no amount of self-congratulation can disguise the most subservient diplomacy in history. The opposition party mocked that drinking a boilermaker with the Japanese leader didn't count as a diplomatic achievement.

[Soundbite] Lim O-kyeong(Spokesperson, Democratic Party) : "S. Korean people do not need a salesman president who sells off his country. Admit to the diplomatic disaster and apologize to the people."

The opposition also demanded that President Yoon tell the truth about claims that Japanese media reported about Dokdo and wartime sexual slavery issues being mentioned at the summit.