Talks on wartime forced labor issue pick up pace

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sun, December 10, 2023 | 14:31

Foreign Affairs

Talks on wartime forced labor issue pick up pace

Posted : 2023-01-16 16:53

Updated : 2023-01-17 16:04

A public hearing on ways to resolve the thorny issue of how to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times file

By Kang Seung-woo

Less than a week after South Korea delivered a proposal to resolve a wartime forced labor dispute with Japan, the two sides seem to be on the same page to find a speedy "solution" to the long-running issue that has caused bilateral ties to deteriorate to their lowest level in decades.

Seo Min-jeong, director-general of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau at Korea's foreign ministry, held working-level talks with her counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, in Tokyo for follow-up discussions on finalizing adjustments to Seoul's proposal, and Japan taking sincere steps in response, including offering an apology to surviving South Korean victims of its forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 occupation of Korea.

It marked their first face-to-face meeting following the proposal.

Last Thursday, the Korean government unveiled a plan at a public hearing to compensate the victims through a public foundation fund rather than pursuing payment from responsible Japanese firms.

In separate 2018 rulings, Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japanese companies ―- Nippon Steel Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ― found guilty of exploiting forced labor during World War II to compensate surviving South Korean victims. However, the Japanese government claims that all issues from its 35-year occupation of Korea, including wartime sex slavery, were settled under a 1965 treaty that normalized bilateral relations and provided loans and grants to South Korea.

The plan seeks to garner funds from South Korean companies that benefited from the treaty, including Korean steelmaker POSCO, but Seoul also hopes that Japanese companies will eventually contribute to the foundation.

A positive sign also came from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida who vowed to resolve pending issues with Korea swiftly and restore bilateral ties while on a visit in the United States, Friday, according to Kyodo News.

In addition, Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, held phone talks, also on Friday, and agreed to restore healthy bilateral relations and develop them further by resolving the pending issue.

Amid the positive signs, there is growing speculation that after the official solution is finalized in February, President Yoon Suk Yeol will travel to Japan to hold a summit with Kishida, where they may declare the normalization of bilateral relations. In addition, Japan is expected to invite Yoon to Hiroshima in May, where the Group of Seven summit will take place.

Since taking office last May, Yoon has sat down with Kishida twice, in September and November.

However, despite the rosy prospects, the victims and supporting civic groups have rejected the plan, calling for Japan's apology and direct involvement by the companies in the compensation process.

Therefore, experts suggest that the government should maximize Japan's forward-looking attitude in order to come up with a smooth solution in order not to place itself in hot water again. In 2015, the Park Geun-hye administration signed with the Japanese government a deal to end their dispute over Tokyo's enslavement of Korean women forced into sex slavery at Japanese wartime "comfort stations" from 1932 to 1945.

However, the government faced strong complaints from some victims who claimed the agreement was made without their consent.

ksw@koreatimes.co.kr