Ryoji Ito: “Korea-Japan Relationship gets better”

The AsiaN, represented by Lee Sang-ki, and  Asia Journalist Association (AJA)  jointly hosted a farewell party for Ryoji Ito, who leaves for Japan after finishing his three years of service as the NHK Seoul bureau chief, at Seoul Press Center on Monday (June 25) with the attendance of some 50 foreign and Korean guests including Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Masatoshi Muto.

Ito is a Japanese journalist, known for having an expert-level knowledge about Korea due to his long years of service as journalist in Korea. Upon joining NHK in 1988, he first came to Korea as a correspondent of NHK Seoul Bureau in 1996 for three-year service and returned here again in 2009 as the bureau chief. Considering his study of Korean language at Yonsei University for a year beginning 1994, the total period of his staying in Korea exceedes 9 years.

While serving in Seoul, Ito was elected as the president of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club (SFCC).

In a speech, Ito thanked his Korean friends for hosting his farewell party and said “I could feel that there has been a big progress in the relationship between the two neighboring countries in recent years. I happened to be in Seoul when Japan was hit by two big earthquakes, one in 1995 and the other  in 2011. I could feel a change for the better in the attitude of Koreans toward the natural disaster in Japan during the interval.”

He went on to say that he had an opportunity to talk to Korean elementary students soon after the Kobo earthquake in 1995 and was shocked when some of them said the disaster was a natural retribution for colonizing Korea.

“However,” Ito said, “general reaction of Korean people last year was quite different from that of 17 years ago. There was a nationwide fundraisings to help Japanese victims and the government was quick to send a rescue squad to the scene of disaster.”

Ito said that he was hopeful of the future between the two nations, adding that “some people say the Korean-Japanese relationship always moves a step forward and another step backward, but if we move ten steps forward and move nine backwards. It means we are at least taking one solid step forward.”

“It’s not likely that I would come back to Korea as a correspondent because I’ve already worked in Seoul twice, but I may be able to return as a correspondent again if Korea gets reunited,” he noted.

“I not only want to come back to Korea but also truly wish for Korean peace and reunification. I will also work hard to better the Korean-Japanese relationship,” he concludingly said.

Japanese Ambassador Muto revealed in a speech that “an exhibition of paintings depicting Korean sceneries by a Japanese artist will be held  in Seoul this October thanks to the help of Ito. It’ll be a great opportunity for people of both nations to share the beauty of Korea from a Japanese perspective.”

Kim Hak-jun, AJA board chairman, Ivan Lim, AJA president , Hwang Kyung-chun, former AP Seoul bureau chief and some others guests also delivered a farewell speech for Ito in the party.

Below is the list of attendees at the farewell party.

• An Wei sun (president of Scientific prodigies)
• Choi Jae hoon (reporter of Kyungin Newspaper)
• Dennis Lamberg (Sweden)
• Doria J. Garms-Sotelo (United States)
• Go Sun yoon (Adjunct professor at Bak-je University of Arts)
• Goo Hye yeon (pianist)
• Ha Ji Won (president of Eco-mom Korea)
• Ha Sang nam (inventor)
• Hwang In jun (CFO of NHN)
• Hwang Kyung choon (former AP Tokyo Bureau Chief)
• Ivan Lim (president of AJA)
• Jeon Duk shik (former General of National Security)
• Jeong Bum gu (member of 18th assembly)
• Kang Ji won (lawyer)
• Kim Chung (magician)
• Kim Hak jun (Chief of Asia Journalist Association Board of Trustees)
• Kim Kun il (Director of Jeju MBC)
• Kim Sun mi (member of the 17th assembly)
• Kim Young ran (director of Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission)
• Lee hyung kyun (director of AJA)
• Lee Joo hyung (calligrapher)
• Lee Sang ki (publisher of the AsiaN)
• Lee Wan pyo (chairman of Eum-bong gas station)
• Lim Ho chul (Businessman)
• Lim Yeon sook (former president of Seoul Foreign Correspondent Club)
• Lisa Witter (USA, Social Responsibility Team in International Peace Sports Federation)
• Meidyana Rayana (Indonesia)
• Min Byung don (former Head of Korean Military Academy)
• Muto Masatoshi (Japanese Ambassador for Korea)
• Nam Tak hee (former chief of Kyung-Hyang newspaper department of publishing)
• Park Jin (member of 18th assembly)
• Park Sang sul (Camping Host)
• Sara (Nepal)
• Sin Young won (professor of Japanese and Japanese Literature at Incheon University)
• Son In sook (embroidery craftswoman)
• Son Ji ae (president of Arirang TV)
• Sudhanya Ghosh (India)
• Tskamoto Soichi (NHK Seoul Bureau Chief) (in alphabetical order)

Park So Hye fristar@theasian.asia