Kishida Not Expected to Attend New South Korean Leader's Inauguration - Reports

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd May, 2022) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is unlikely to attend the inauguration ceremony of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, Japanese media report.

The inauguration ceremony, scheduled for May 10, will likely be attended by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Kyodo news agency said on Monday, explaining that unresolved historic issues, such as the so-called "comfort women" system, remain between the two countries.

In April, Yoon Suk-yeol invited South Korea's former president Park Geun-hye to attend the May 10 inauguration ceremony.

Park was dislodged in 2017 due to a political scandal involving her friend, Choi Soon-sil, who was accused of interfering in South Korean politics by influencing Park's decisions. The ex-president was also charged with accepting bribes worth 3.5 billion won ($2.7 million) from three former chiefs of the National Intelligence Service in 2013-2016 and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2018.

In December 2021, Park Geun-hye was granted a special pardon as part of the new year amnesty.