As U.S. and Japanese officials meet in Tokyo on a trade deal called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, *some local reports in Korea have made claims about events leading up to the talks.
They say that recent controversial comments by a senior U.S. official… were partly aimed to ensure netogiations go smoothly.
Arirang's Connie Kim has more.
Delegations from the U.S. and Japan are meeting in Tokyo on Thursday for talks over a regional free trade deal - the Trans Pacific Partnership.
The two nations have reportedly reached consensus on some of the most sensitive items such as automobile and agricultural products,… and they are pushing to conclude the talks before Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Washington in late April or early May.
The TPP meeting is garnering extra attention as it follows some controversial remarks made last week by a senior U.S. official.
Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said political leaders should not exploit nationalist feelings and "earn cheap applause by vilifying a former enemy".
The comment sparked outrage in Korea with Korean officials saying Washington was letting Japan get away with whitewashing its wartime atrocities.
The State Department later clarified that Sherman's comments did not indicate a shift in Washington's stance on the historical tensions in Northeast Asia.
However,... pundits point out that the remark comes at a time when the U.S. is trying to strengthen its ties with Tokyo… with the TPP deal near the top of its to-do list.
For the U.S., the TPP is an effort to increase its economic influence in the Asia-Pacific region to counter China's growing presence.
On the Japanese side, analysts say that,... by concluding the trade pact, Abe would have a better chance to speak before U.S. Congress during his planned visit to Washington.
That possibility is a controversial one, however,... as the Japanese leader is expected to promote Japan as a country that has followed a peaceful path since the end of Wo
