Trump, in front of Japan’s prime minister: “Why didn’t Japan give prior notice of the Pearl Harbor attack?”

A barbed joke in response to a question about “prior notice” to allies before the Iran strike

Trump: “No country knows surprise attacks better than Japan”

Takaichi “wide-eyed” at mention of the “taboo word” Pearl Harbor

U.S. media: “Highly unusual” … Former Japanese official: “Regrettable”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 19th, “No country knows surprise attacks better than Japan. Why didn’t you tell us about the Pearl Harbor attack?” He made the remark after reporters asked why allies had not been informed in advance about the strike on Iran.

President Trump asked Japan and European allies to cooperate in ensuring security in the Strait of Hormuz. But among allies who were not notified in advance, complaints have emerged that it was “a military clash the U.S. unilaterally started on its own.”

Trump said, “We didn’t tell anyone because we were aiming for the effect of surprise.” He added, “Thanks to the surprise, in the first two days (after the start of military operations) we probably unexpectedly smashed 50% of the targets,” and “If we had told them beforehand, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.”

U.S. media outlets reported Trump’s Pearl Harbor remarks critically. The Washington Post said that Prime Minister Takaichi, upon hearing the comment, opened his eyes wide, leaned back in his chair, and the smile disappeared from his face. ABC described the room’s mood as a mix of surprise, commotion and laughter.

The New York Times noted that no previous U.S. president had ever made a casual reference to the Pearl Harbor attack in front of Japan’s prime minister. It also cited the 2016 visit to Pearl Harbor by former President Barack Obama and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a symbol of U.S.-Japan reconciliation.

Japanese media widely reported Trump’s mention of the Pearl Harbor air raid but have not yet offered a direct assessment. A former senior Japanese government official told the Yomiuri Shimbun that “the public portion of the talks went very smoothly, but the comment about the Pearl Harbor attack was regrettable.”

The Pearl Harbor attack refers to Japan’s surprise strike on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 1941, in which more than 2,400 Americans lost their lives. It became the trigger for the United States’ entry into World War II, and in Japan it is regarded as a decisive blunder that helped lead to defeat and as a painful part of its past.

Reporter Il-gyu Kim black0419@hankyung.com