The vice foreign ministers of Korea and Japan held talks for about 150 minutes in Washington DC on the 13th (local time) and discussed issues such as compensation for forced labor during the Japanese occupation, but ended without reaching any agreement.
However, as the foreign ministers of Korea and Japan are expected to have a meeting at the Munich Security Conference to be held in Germany on the 17th and 19th, attention is focusing on whether a concrete agreement can be reached through the meeting.
First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori, who visited the United States to attend the Korea-US-Japan Vice-Ministerial Meeting, held a bilateral meeting at a hotel in Washington DC for 2 hours and 28 minutes from 4:00 pm on the same day.
Initially, the meeting was scheduled to last about an hour, but it was extended to nearly an hour and a half.
It seems that the two vice ministers had an intensive discussion on the issue of compensation for forced labor, which is the biggest pending issue between the two countries.
Vice Minister Cho met with the correspondents after the meeting and said, “We are still trying to find a point of contact (regarding the issue of compensation for forced labor).”
Regarding the fact that the meeting took longer than expected, he said, “It is not a bad thing that the meeting has been prolonged, but it is also said that the discussion has not reached a conclusion.”
Regarding the issue of compensation for forced labor, the Korean government has proposed a plan for the victims of forced labor, who received a final judgment on compensation from the Supreme Court on the 12th of last month, to receive compensation from a third party, the Foundation for Supporting Victims of Forced Mobilization by Japan.
After the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed a so-called “third-party reimbursement” plan last month, Korea and Japan have accelerated discussions on a solution to compensation for forced labor by holding two director-general-level working-level consultations in Tokyo and Seoul.
The government recognizes that the victim side has suggested △Japan’s sincere apology and △participation in compensation by Japan’s war criminal companies (Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), which were awarded compensation for damages by the Supreme Court, as preconditions for resolving the problem. Considering this, the Japanese side has also been informed of the victim’s position and has been asked to “respond” to it.
Regarding Japan’s ‘apology’, first of all, the Japanese government referred to ‘Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration’ in 1998, which mentioned Japan’s “painful remorse and apology from the heart” for the issue of past history between Korea and Japan, as “Hyun Kishida.” It seems that the strand has been caught in the direction of revealing the position of ‘succession in the cabinet of Fumio (岸田文雄)’.
However, regarding the method of ‘compensation’ for Japanese companies involved in war crimes, it is known that Japan has stated that it is “difficult” for the companies to directly participate, and further discussions are underway.
In response to the question, ‘Is the issue of getting war criminals companies involved in the foundation fund the biggest obstacle?’, Vice Minister Cho said, “Not only we but also the Japanese side are very sensitive to the current trend, and are particularly sensitive to our media reports.” He said, “Considering that, it is difficult to tell you specifically about the situation we are in right now.”
The latest meeting appears to be in the nature of pre-arrangement ahead of the meeting between Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, which is being discussed for the possibility of holding it during the Munich Security Conference.
As a result, the possibility that Korea and Japan will narrow their differences on the remaining issues as much as possible through this vice-ministerial meeting, and if a meeting between Minister Park and Minister Hayashi is concluded in Germany, the possibility of reaching a final agreement through last-minute negotiations is also being discussed.
When asked if he had set the next schedule for further discussion, Vice Minister Cho said, “The next schedule was not set by the Vice Ministers.” ), it seems to be a situation that needs to be reported.”
At the meeting, Vice Minister Cho also conveyed his concerns about Japan’s plan to discharge contaminated water from Fukushima.
Vice Minister Cho said, “We have pointed out our domestic concerns and various scientific problems that we are presenting, and we have asked Japan to make more efforts to resolve them.”
Regarding this, the Japanese side explained that, as there are cases where issues are raised not only in Korea but also in other countries, “we are trying our best to resolve them in consideration of international concerns” and “we are trying to meet international standards”, Vice Minister Cho explained. told
Along with this, it seems that the South Korea-Japan vice-ministerial meeting also discussed regional security issues, including policies to strengthen defense capabilities, such as responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and securing Japan’s counterattack capabilities.
(Washington = News 1)
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.