By Yi Whan-woo
President Moon Jae-in's special envoy to Japan conveyed the Korean people's opposition toward a disputed agreement reached between the two countries on "comfort women" during a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Wednesday.
"Most Korean citizens do not accept the agreement emotionally," Rep. Moon Hee-sang of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) told Kishida at the latter's office in Tokyo.
The presidential envoy arrived in Japan, Wednesday, to deliver the President's letter about improving relations between the two neighbors.
The DPK lawmaker's remark came after the President hinted at renegotiating the verbal agreement during a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, May 11.
The President said then that most Korean citizens do not accept the agreement reached between the Park Geun-hye government and Abe's Cabinet in December 2015 on an emotional level, and that the two countries should make joint efforts by "acknowledging public sentiment and reality."
Rep. Moon said the two sides should work together to resolve the diplomatic row over "comfort women" based on relevant statements and declarations issued in the past.
Although Japan has been insisting that Korea carry out the agreement, Kishida did not convey such a message during the 40-minute meeting with the DPK lawmaker.
Kishida instead offered a congratulatory message for the Moon administration, which began its term on May 10.
He referred to Korea and Japan as "precious neighbors who share strategic interests" and that Tokyo will pursue a future-oriented relationship with the new Seoul government over various issues.
Rep. Moon and Kishida also renewed a call to bolster trilateral cooperation with Washington against Pyongyang's ballistic missile threats.
"The meeting was really profitable. We talked in an earnest manner and had many similar thoughts," Moon said after the meeting.
Meanwhile, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), an intelligence-sharing pact between Korea and Japan, was not discussed at the meeting, according to the presidential envoy.
The DPK lawmaker is scheduled to meet Abe, Thursday, and also other high-profile Japanese figures such as senior legislators during his stay.
President Moon's administration has come under growing pressure to use a recent U.N. report concerning the disputed agreement on "comfort women" between Korea and Japan as leverage to push for a renegotiation.
Analysts said that Abe's Cabinet may ignore the report, which is not legally binding. The two governments called the verbal agreement "final and irreversible."
However, the report released by the U.N. Committee against Torture recommended revising the deal on the wartime sex slavery issue because it failed to consider the victims.
This makes the President's push for renegotiation justifiable, the analysts said.
The U.N. report states that the agreement should be modified to "ensure that the surviving victims of sexual slavery during World War II are provided with redress, including the right to compensation and rehabilitation and the right to truth, reparation and assurances of non-repetition."
It was released a day after Moon hinted at renegotiating the agreement in a telephone conversation with Abe.
"I understand the U.N. report is just a recommendation but at least it gives our logic the upper hand over Japan," said Shin Yul, a professor of political science at Myongji University. "The report certainly can be used as leverage to press Japan."
Hwang Tae-soon, a political analyst, agreed, although he was pessimistic about revising the deal completely.
"I think Korea can capitalize on the U.N. report to pave a third way concerning the sex slavery agreement as suggested by Rep. Moon," he said.
Rep. Moon said Sunday that seeking a "third way" other than scrapping or renegotiating the deal will be needed to resolve the diplomatic row.
"There must be certain points of the agreement that both Korea and Japan think should be supplemented for their respective sakes, and that is where the U.N. report can come in," Hwang said. "It will not be possible to revise the deal from scratch but the two sides could consult each other and develop the agreement."
The two countries have been poles apart in interpreting the 2015 deal.
The dispute has centered on whether the Korean government is responsible for removing two statues of girls installed outside Japanese diplomatic missions here in return for receiving 1 billion yen ($8.8 million) from Tokyo.
The statues symbolize former sex slaves during the 1910-45 Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula. Japan offered the money to help the surviving victims.
President Moon Jae-in's special envoy to Japan conveyed the Korean people's opposition toward a disputed agreement reached between the two countries on "comfort women" during a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Wednesday.
"Most Korean citizens do not accept the agreement emotionally," Rep. Moon Hee-sang of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) told Kishida at the latter's office in Tokyo.
The presidential envoy arrived in Japan, Wednesday, to deliver the President's letter about improving relations between the two neighbors.
The DPK lawmaker's remark came after the President hinted at renegotiating the verbal agreement during a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, May 11.
The President said then that most Korean citizens do not accept the agreement reached between the Park Geun-hye government and Abe's Cabinet in December 2015 on an emotional level, and that the two countries should make joint efforts by "acknowledging public sentiment and reality."
Rep. Moon said the two sides should work together to resolve the diplomatic row over "comfort women" based on relevant statements and declarations issued in the past.
Although Japan has been insisting that Korea carry out the agreement, Kishida did not convey such a message during the 40-minute meeting with the DPK lawmaker.
Kishida instead offered a congratulatory message for the Moon administration, which began its term on May 10.
He referred to Korea and Japan as "precious neighbors who share strategic interests" and that Tokyo will pursue a future-oriented relationship with the new Seoul government over various issues.
Rep. Moon and Kishida also renewed a call to bolster trilateral cooperation with Washington against Pyongyang's ballistic missile threats.
"The meeting was really profitable. We talked in an earnest manner and had many similar thoughts," Moon said after the meeting.
Meanwhile, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), an intelligence-sharing pact between Korea and Japan, was not discussed at the meeting, according to the presidential envoy.
The DPK lawmaker is scheduled to meet Abe, Thursday, and also other high-profile Japanese figures such as senior legislators during his stay.
President Moon's administration has come under growing pressure to use a recent U.N. report concerning the disputed agreement on "comfort women" between Korea and Japan as leverage to push for a renegotiation.
Analysts said that Abe's Cabinet may ignore the report, which is not legally binding. The two governments called the verbal agreement "final and irreversible."
However, the report released by the U.N. Committee against Torture recommended revising the deal on the wartime sex slavery issue because it failed to consider the victims.
This makes the President's push for renegotiation justifiable, the analysts said.
The U.N. report states that the agreement should be modified to "ensure that the surviving victims of sexual slavery during World War II are provided with redress, including the right to compensation and rehabilitation and the right to truth, reparation and assurances of non-repetition."
It was released a day after Moon hinted at renegotiating the agreement in a telephone conversation with Abe.
"I understand the U.N. report is just a recommendation but at least it gives our logic the upper hand over Japan," said Shin Yul, a professor of political science at Myongji University. "The report certainly can be used as leverage to press Japan."
Hwang Tae-soon, a political analyst, agreed, although he was pessimistic about revising the deal completely.
"I think Korea can capitalize on the U.N. report to pave a third way concerning the sex slavery agreement as suggested by Rep. Moon," he said.
Rep. Moon said Sunday that seeking a "third way" other than scrapping or renegotiating the deal will be needed to resolve the diplomatic row.
"There must be certain points of the agreement that both Korea and Japan think should be supplemented for their respective sakes, and that is where the U.N. report can come in," Hwang said. "It will not be possible to revise the deal from scratch but the two sides could consult each other and develop the agreement."
The two countries have been poles apart in interpreting the 2015 deal.
The dispute has centered on whether the Korean government is responsible for removing two statues of girls installed outside Japanese diplomatic missions here in return for receiving 1 billion yen ($8.8 million) from Tokyo.
The statues symbolize former sex slaves during the 1910-45 Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula. Japan offered the money to help the surviving victims.
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