The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Senior US general warns of possible looming war with China

  • 3

    BLACKPINK sets 6 more Guinness records

  • 5

    TXT brings together 'pansori' and fairy tale in new song 'Sugar Rush Ride'

  • 7

    Cabinet ministries turn deaf ear to watchdog's advice on sexual minorities

  • 9

    National pension anticipated to be fully drained in 2055: NPS

  • 11

    Seoul to work with Hanoi to pursue peace on Korean peninsula

  • 13

    Superintendent of Seoul Education Office gets suspended jail term

  • 15

    SK E&S retains gov't support for Barossa gas project in Australia

  • 17

    12 websites still unavailable after Chinese cyberattacks

  • 19

    Wall Street climbs to hit best level in nearly eight weeks

  • 2

    People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions

  • 4

    Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait'

  • 6

    ENA's new dating show to spotlight young adult's romance

  • 8

    Bad weather disrupts operation of Jeju airport again after 3 days

  • 10

    More Korean manufacturers enjoy Georgia's hospitality

  • 12

    Korea's rice consumption hits another low in 2022: data

  • 14

    Opposition leader Lee claims innocence in corruption probe

  • 16

    Police to build disaster prediction system to prevent recurrence of Itaewon tragedy

  • 18

    Indonesia celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea via virtual event

  • 20

    LGES to capitalize on US IRA, Tesla partnership to continue record earnings

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Sun, January 29, 2023 | 04:36
Foreign Affairs
Moon to push renegotiation of sex slavery deal
Posted : 2017-05-17 16:52
Updated : 2017-05-18 16:24
Yi Whan-woo
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
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.





Emailyistory@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions
2Cabinet ministries turn deaf ear to watchdog's advice on sexual minorities Cabinet ministries turn deaf ear to watchdog's advice on sexual minorities
3More Korean manufacturers enjoy Georgia's hospitality More Korean manufacturers enjoy Georgia's hospitality
4Seoul to work with Hanoi to pursue peace on Korean peninsula Seoul to work with Hanoi to pursue peace on Korean peninsula
5Superintendent of Seoul Education Office gets suspended jail term Superintendent of Seoul Education Office gets suspended jail term
6SK E&S retains gov't support for Barossa gas project in Australia SK E&S retains gov't support for Barossa gas project in Australia
7Indonesia celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea via virtual event Indonesia celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea via virtual event
8LGES to capitalize on US IRA, Tesla partnership to continue record earnings LGES to capitalize on US IRA, Tesla partnership to continue record earnings
9KT&G aims to become global top-tier company KT&G aims to become global top-tier company
10Middle East 'sales diplomacy' picks up speed Middle East 'sales diplomacy' picks up speed
Top 5 Entertainment News
1BLACKPINK sets 6 more Guinness records BLACKPINK sets 6 more Guinness records
2Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait' Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait'
3Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film
4TXT brings together 'pansori' and fairy tale in new song 'Sugar Rush Ride' TXT brings together 'pansori' and fairy tale in new song 'Sugar Rush Ride'
5Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E' Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E'
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

wooribank
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group