Abe may boycott PyeongChang Olympics
By Kim Rahn
President Moon Jae-in called on Japan to make a sincere apology to Korean victims of its wartime sex slavery, saying the 2015 deal between the two countries over the issue was flawed because it excluded their views.
He said the government would pay out its own money to support the victims, and not use the 1 billion yen Tokyo provided under the deal.
Moon made the comment during a New Year press conference Wednesday, a day after the foreign ministry announced Korea would not seek to renegotiate the verbal agreement but would ask Japan to acknowledge its past wrongdoing and make a sincere apology to help heal the victims' pain.
"The government measure was not satisfactory but was the best choice in reality because it was a diplomatic issue for which the two nations made an official agreement under the former (Park Geun-hye) administration," the President said.
But he said breaking the deal and demanding a renegotiation may not be the answer in resolving the issue. "Basically I believe the issue can be addressed only by the truth and justice. When Japan acknowledges the truth, makes a sincere apology to the victims, and, learning lessons from it, makes efforts with international society not to repeat such behavior, then the victims will forgive Japan and that will resolve the issue completely."
In this regard, it was wrong for the Park administration to seek to resolve the issue through government-level exchanges that excluded the victims' views, he said.
While Japan provided 1 billion yen to support the victims under the 2015 deal and part of the money was already paid to some of the victims, the ministry said the Korean government would spend its own money to support them victims and make up for the already-paid shortfall so that the 1 billion yen would be left intact.
Regarding the money, Moon said although the victims need financial support, they could not accept Japan's money provided according to a deal that they could not accept.
"That's why the government will support them with its own money, making up for what has been already paid out as well. The victims, then, who have already received some of Japan's money, can be free of a bad conscience, and those who have refused to accept it, can now receive support without one."
Regarding the 1 billion yen, Moon said the government would talk with Japan, the victims and related civic groups about how to use it.
In response to the government's announcement Tuesday and Moon's remarks, the Japan protested fiercely, saying Korea had virtually scrapped the deal.
A ranking official at the Japanese foreign ministry made an official protest over the phone to the Korean Embassy there, saying the country cannot accept Moon's demand for an apology, according to Kyodo News.
Many Japanese media also reported Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may "suspend" his decision whether to visit Korea during the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games ― meaning he would not come.
"We cannot accept any additional Korean demands," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters, adding the 2015 deal "settled the issue completely and irreversibly."
"The two nations are required to carry out the deal faithfully; and Japan has done so," he said.
By Kim Rahn
President Moon Jae-in called on Japan to make a sincere apology to Korean victims of its wartime sex slavery, saying the 2015 deal between the two countries over the issue was flawed because it excluded their views.
He said the government would pay out its own money to support the victims, and not use the 1 billion yen Tokyo provided under the deal.
Moon made the comment during a New Year press conference Wednesday, a day after the foreign ministry announced Korea would not seek to renegotiate the verbal agreement but would ask Japan to acknowledge its past wrongdoing and make a sincere apology to help heal the victims' pain.
"The government measure was not satisfactory but was the best choice in reality because it was a diplomatic issue for which the two nations made an official agreement under the former (Park Geun-hye) administration," the President said.
But he said breaking the deal and demanding a renegotiation may not be the answer in resolving the issue. "Basically I believe the issue can be addressed only by the truth and justice. When Japan acknowledges the truth, makes a sincere apology to the victims, and, learning lessons from it, makes efforts with international society not to repeat such behavior, then the victims will forgive Japan and that will resolve the issue completely."
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.jpg/dims/resize/84/optimize)
In this regard, it was wrong for the Park administration to seek to resolve the issue through government-level exchanges that excluded the victims' views, he said.
While Japan provided 1 billion yen to support the victims under the 2015 deal and part of the money was already paid to some of the victims, the ministry said the Korean government would spend its own money to support them victims and make up for the already-paid shortfall so that the 1 billion yen would be left intact.
Regarding the money, Moon said although the victims need financial support, they could not accept Japan's money provided according to a deal that they could not accept.
"That's why the government will support them with its own money, making up for what has been already paid out as well. The victims, then, who have already received some of Japan's money, can be free of a bad conscience, and those who have refused to accept it, can now receive support without one."
Regarding the 1 billion yen, Moon said the government would talk with Japan, the victims and related civic groups about how to use it.
In response to the government's announcement Tuesday and Moon's remarks, the Japan protested fiercely, saying Korea had virtually scrapped the deal.
A ranking official at the Japanese foreign ministry made an official protest over the phone to the Korean Embassy there, saying the country cannot accept Moon's demand for an apology, according to Kyodo News.
Many Japanese media also reported Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may "suspend" his decision whether to visit Korea during the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games ― meaning he would not come.
"We cannot accept any additional Korean demands," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters, adding the 2015 deal "settled the issue completely and irreversibly."
"The two nations are required to carry out the deal faithfully; and Japan has done so," he said.
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