「パートナー」から「隣国」　対日関係悪化を反映―韓国国防白書

　【ソウル時事】韓国国防省は２日、２０２０年版の国防白書を公表した。白書では対日関係について、前回（１８年版）は「パートナー」としていた表記を「隣国」と表現するにとどめた。１８年末の韓国軍による海自哨戒機へのレーダー照射問題などで日韓関係が冷え込んだことを反映した。
　白書は２年ごとに発行し、文在寅政権下では２回目。今回の白書では日本が「両国関係だけでなく北東アジアおよび、世界の平和と繁栄のためにも共に協力していくべき隣国だ」と説明し、聯合ニュースは表現を「格下げだ」と伝えた。（2021/02/02-16:57）

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense dropped the word partner to describe Japan in its biennial defense white paper released Tuesday while continuing to call it a neighboring country.
   This apparently reflects soured bilateral ties due to incidents, including one in late 2018 in which a South Korean warship directed a radar at a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol plane over the Sea of Japan.
   The 2020 defense white paper, the second under the administration of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said Japan is a neighboring country that South Korea should work with not only for their bilateral relations but also for the peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the entire world.
   In the 2018 report, the ministry said that Japan is a neighboring country that is geographically and culturally close to South Korea and a partner that Seoul should cooperate with for the world peace and prosperity.
   South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said that the country downgraded Japan's status in the latest white paper.