반기문 유엔 사무총장이 26일 외교부에서 열린 POST-2015 KOREA FORUM에서 축사하고 있다. (연합뉴스)
일본의 보수 언론들은 반기문 유엔 사무총장 이 26일 서울 기자회견을 통해 일본 정치 지도자들에게 올바른 역사인식을 촉구한 데 대해 사설 등으로 비판했다.
요미우리(讀賣)신문은 `자질 의심스러운 편향 개입 발언’ 제하의 28일자 사설에 서 반 총장의 이번 발언은 “중립성, 공평성이 요구되는 유엔 사무총장으로서는 귀를 의심케하는, 일방적이고 문제있는 발언”이라고 비판을 가했다.
사설은 이와 함께 “사무총장 회견은 유엔 공용어인 영어나 프랑스어로 하는 것 이 통례인데 이번에는 이례적으로 대부분이 한국어로 이루어졌다”면서 “국제기관에 적을 두고 있다면 한국의 상식은 세계의 비상식이라고 한국에 말해야 한다”고 원색적으로 비난했다.
산케이(産經)신문도 사설을 통해 반총장의 발언은 “역사인식을 둘러싸고 대일 비판을 강화하고 있는 한국과 중국 편을 드는 것으로 용납할 수 없는 일이며 특히 일본 헌법개정 문제에 대한 비판적인 언급은 내정간섭에 가까운 것”이라고 비판했다.
사설은 이어 스가 요시히데(菅義偉) 관방장관이 반총장 발언에 “의문을 느낀다”고 불쾌감을 표시한 것은 당연한 일이라면서 일본 정부는 “반 총장에게 진의를 묻고 납득할 만한 설명을 요구해야 한다”고 말했다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Japanese media criticize U.N. chief’s remarks
Japanese conservative media slammed U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday for urging Japanese political leadership to adopt a correct view of history during his visit to South Korea.
Ban called for Japanese leaders to have a deep reflection and vision to look out for the international future to build good-neighbor relationships at a press conference held at the Government Complex in Seoul on Monday during a six-day home visit.
“I think the political leaders of the Japanese government need a very profound introspection about how to perceive history and how the right history helps to maintain good-neighbor relations in a future-oriented way, and a vision to look ahead into the global future,” Ban said.
Japanese media Yomiuri Shimbun criticized Ban’s remarks were “unilateral and problematic” and questioned the neutrality of the U.N. chief through its editorial published Wednesday.
“When the U.S. secretary-general holds a conference, it is customary to speak in the U.N.’s official languages, English or French, but his latest remark was delivered in Korean this time,” the newspaper noted.
Another Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun also joined the condemnation, saying the U.N. chief made biased comments.
“It is unacceptable (for him to) take sides with Korea and China, intensifying criticism of Japan’s historical awareness,” the media said.
“Especially, his critical commentary on Japan’s constitutional revision is an act close to the intervention in domestic affairs.”
The editorial added that it is natural for Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshida Suga to express his displeasure with Ban’s remarks.
“It is extremely questionable whether the secretary-general had knowledge of our stance when he made the comments,” Suga was quoted as saying by Kyodo News on Tuesday.
Diplomatic ties between Japan and Korea have deteriorated further in recent months, after officials of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and denied the country’s responsibility for its wartime sex slavery.
China and Japan are also in an intensifying territorial dispute over a group of islands known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan.
By Park Han-na (
hnpark@heraldcorp.com)
