Korea-Japan standoffs deepen over WWII forced labor

A diplomatic spat between South Korea and Japan has intensified this week amid Tokyo's strong protest against a recent Seoul court ruling on the wartime forced labor issue.

The two sides traded accusations against each other publicly. Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono opened fire again on Monday with a media interview in which he urged the South Korean government to resolve the problem.

"It's obvious: they are responsible for taking care of all the claims from the Korean people. So that's what they have to do," he told Bloomberg News. "That's what's in the 1965 agreement."

He was referring to the pact between the two countries on "the settlement of problems related to property, claims and economic cooperation" over Japan's brutal colonization of Korea from 1910-45.

Nearly 14 years ago, four South Koreans filed a damage suit against a Japanese steelmaker for their forced labor during World War II.

The Supreme Court acknowledged their individual rights to compensation for the wartime crime against humanity.

It ordered Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp., a Japanese steelmaker, to pay each victim 100 million won (US$88,000).

The South Korean government said it respects the court ruling and vowed efforts to manage relations with Japan.

Kono condemned Seoul's stance.

"It would be difficult for any country to do anything with the South Korean government" if it nullifies a deal due to a court ruling, he said.

South Korean officials were upset about Japan's response to the ruling.

Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Tokyo's Ambassador to Seoul Yasumasa Nagamine on Tuesday to deliver its message.

Cho's ministry also issued a late-night statement accusing Japan of handling the court decision in a "political, excessive" manner.

"Our government is very concerned that Japan's responsible leaders are continuing remarks to provoke public sentiment in ignorance of the root cause of the problem associated with the Supreme Court's ruling this time," it said.

The ministry said Japanese government officials are "overreacting" to the independent court ruling in a democracy. (Yonhap)