Japanese and Korean Lawyers Exchange on Base Issues

　On March 4, 2018, lawyers from Japan and South Korea gathered in Okinawa for a meeting to discuss the issue of US military bases in both countries and the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula.

　Lawyers from Japan and South Korea also had a heated discussion on how to stop the current military movement through law and court cases.

　From Japan, there were reports on Article 9 of the Constitution about to be changed, a new base being built in Henoko, Okinawa, which is now in court, and lawsuits against the bombing of Futenma and Kadena air bases by fighter jets.

　For my part, I gave a report from the perspective of international activities. I reported on how U.S. military bases have been deployed around the world, the Asia Pacific Lawyers Association's statement on the crisis on the Korean Peninsula, the relationship between U.S. military bases and the UN Charter, and the use of the UN Right to Peace.

　As for the current crisis on the Korean Peninsula, there have been some signs of dialogue since the Pyeongchang Olympics. But what were the causes of this crisis? Although Kim Jong-un's strong-arm politics has its problems, I think the root cause of the crisis was the United States, which had placed U.S. military bases in South Korea after the Korean War and continued to threaten the country with nuclear weapons.