THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
September 20, 2022 at 17:42 JST
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, left, and his South Korean counterpart, Park Jin, bump elbows for a photo during their talks in New York on Sept. 19. (Provided by the Japanese Foreign Ministry)
Japan and South Korea have reaffirmed that they will continue holding talks to speedily resolve the contentious compensation issue of wartime Korean laborers who worked for Japanese businesses.
The reaffirmation came when Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met his South Korean counterpart, Park Jin, over the issue in New York on Sept. 19.
They were visiting New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly session.
At their talks, Hayashi conveyed to Park that Japan is taking positive note of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s repeated references to his willingness to repair strained bilateral relations since he took power in May, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Hayashi also reiterated Japan’s position that the South Korean side should be responsible to take steps to resolve the issue.
In a statement on the meeting, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said that Park told Hayashi to work together so that their countries can find an equitable solution at an early date.
The compensation issue concerns plaintiffs who won an order by the South Korean Supreme Court in 2018 to receive redress for their wartime labor performed for Japanese companies.
Based on the ruling, the procedures to sell the seized assets of these Japanese companies to pay the damages has been under way, raising concerns that the soured ties of the two countries could further deteriorate.
Seoul is making efforts to find a solution.
The South Korean government set up a joint council of the government and private sector to discuss the issue. Park also met and interviewed two plaintiffs in Gwangju in southwestern region of the country to hear their views on Sept. 2.
After the interview, Park said that Japan’s “sincere response” will be needed to resolve the question, repeating Seoul’s stance.
Park apparently explained what steps Seoul has taken and its position when he met with Hayashi in New York.
Their latest talks followed the one in Japan in July, when Park pledged to work to find a preferable solution before the sale of the assets.
(This article was written by Yuichi Nobira in Tokyo and Kiyohide Inada in Seoul.)
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