英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Defeat of South Korean ruling party musn’t derail cooperation over North
韓国与党敗北　対「北」連携へ悪影響避けたい

The political base of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who has one year and 10 months left in her term, has been shaken to its core.
　残り任期が１年１０か月となった朴槿恵韓国大統領の政権基盤が、大きく揺らいだと言えよう。

This is a development that raises concerns about the possible negative impact on South Korea’s policies toward North Korea and Tokyo-Seoul ties.
　北朝鮮政策や日韓関係に悪影響が及ばないか、懸念される事態だ。

In South Korea’s parliamentary election, the ruling conservative Saenuri Party suffered a devastating defeat and lost its majority in the National Assembly. The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, a left-leaning party that favors a conciliatory stance toward North Korea, made significant gains and is now the largest party in the assembly. The People’s Party, a new party, also picked up many seats.
　韓国の総選挙で、政権与党である保守系のセヌリ党が過半数を割り込み、惨敗した。左派で北朝鮮に融和的な最大野党「共に民主党」が伸長して第１党となり、新政党「国民の党」も躍進した。

A South Korean president serves one five-year term and cannot be reelected. When an administration enters the latter half of its term, it normally becomes a lame duck. A further decline in its unifying force is unavoidable.
　５年１期で再選がない韓国大統領の政権後期は通常、レームダック（死に体）化する。求心力の一層の低下は避けられまい。

The direct cause of the ruling party’s defeat was an internal conflict prior to the election that caused many people to lose trust in the party. Discord between lawmakers close to Park and lawmakers in an anti-Park group who want to keep their distance from her resulted in a split election, as some anti-Park lawmakers who were denied official nominations ran as independents.
　与党の直接の敗因は、選挙直前に内紛を起こし、国民の信頼を失ったことだ。朴氏に近い「親朴派」と、距離を置く「非朴派」が対立した末、公認を拒まれた一部の「非朴派」議員が無所属で出馬する分裂選挙となった。

The Park administration’s failure to produce any notable results on the economic front also affected the election. Due to the economic slowdown in China and other factors, South Korea’s exports have fallen and growth has been tepid. The rising unemployment rate, especially among young people, has become a social problem.
　朴政権が経済面でめぼしい成果を上げていないことも響いた。中国経済の減速などにより、輸出が落ち込み、成長が鈍化した。特に若年層の失業率上昇が大きな社会問題になっている。

Park will have to increasingly request opposition parties’ cooperation to pass bills seeking to reenergize the economy, and on other issues. Running her administration will become more difficult.
　朴氏は経済活性化を目指す法案の成立などで、野党の協力を要請する場面が増え、困難な政権運営を迫られるだろう。

Stick to ‘comfort women’ deal

Park has an obligation to deal with North Korea’s repeated provocations, such as its nuclear tests and launches of long-range ballistic missiles.
　核実験や長距離弾道ミサイル発射などの挑発を繰り返す北朝鮮への対処は、朴氏の責務である。

South Korea has quite appropriately adopted a hard-line approach to North Korea, such as by slapping its own sanctions on Pyongyang in addition to those imposed by the United Nations. Halting operations at the Kaesong industrial complex will be effective in severing a source of funds for the administration of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Criticism from opposition parties that these steps are excessive is unfair.
　韓国が、国連の制裁に加え独自制裁を科すなど北朝鮮に厳しく臨んでいるのは妥当だ。開城工業団地の操業停止は金正恩政権の資金源を断つ効果がある。行き過ぎだとの野党の批判は当たらない。

To prevent North Korea from committing any reckless acts, it is essential for Seoul to strengthen its alliance with Washington and continue to discuss the deployment of a sophisticated U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.
　北朝鮮の暴発を防ぐには、米最新鋭ミサイル防衛システムの韓国配備の協議を続け、米国との同盟を強化することが肝要だ。

Some observers have suggested the opposition party’s victory will make it harder to conclude a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) that is being discussed by Japan and South Korea. However, the importance of cooperation between Japan, the United States and South Korea must not be forgotten.
　日韓間の懸案である軍事情報包括保護協定（ＧＳＯＭＩＡ）の締結は、野党の勝利で難しくなったとの見方があるが、日米韓の協調の重要性を忘れてはならない。

What will happen to efforts aimed at implementing the Japan-South Korea deal on so-called comfort women, which was realized at the end of last year, is a cause for concern.
　気がかりなのは、慰安婦問題を巡る昨年末の日韓合意の履行に向けた取り組みである。

South Korea is obliged to establish a foundation that will provide support to former comfort women. South Korea has also promised to make efforts to remove a statue of a girl symbolizing comfort women set up in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Japan has demanded that this statue be removed.
　韓国は今後、元慰安婦を支援する財団を設立せねばならない。日本が求める在ソウル日本大使館前の少女像の撤去についても、解決の努力を約束している。

Deep-rooted opposition to this deal remains in South Korea. Although the comfort women issue did not become a major point of contention in the election, the Minjoo Party of Korea called in its campaign promises for the withdrawal and renegotiation of the deal.
　韓国内では、日韓合意に反対の声が根強い。慰安婦問題は総選挙の争点にならなかったが、「共に民主党」は選挙公約で、日韓合意の撤回と再交渉を求めていた。

We will watch carefully and hope Park will not be swayed by such pressure, and that she implements the deal to improve Japan-South Korea relations.
　朴氏がこうした圧力に左右されず、日韓関係改善のために合意を履行することを見守りたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 15, 2016)