Foreign Minister Park Jin held a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in Munich, Germany on the 18th (local time) and urged Japan to make a political decision on the issue of compensation for victims of forced labor. It is a strong order for Japan to come up with ‘measures to respond in good faith’ in terms of the contribution and apology of Japanese war criminal companies (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel) responsible for compensation. There are also concerns that it may become difficult to resolve pending issues in the first half of the year as the two countries are unable to find a point of contact even in high-level chain talks.
Minister Park and Foreign Minister Hayashi, who attended the Munich Security Conference (MSC), held talks for about 35 minutes in a separate space prepared at the conference hall that afternoon. An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who was present at the meeting said, “We immediately focused on the issue of forced labor without any comment. As it is the time to do it, we conveyed the content that urged a political decision on our interests with a sense of weight.”
Minister Park also met with reporters right after the meeting and said, “Since we understood each other’s positions through honest dialogue, now only a political decision is needed.” said.
Behind the minister’s direct pressure on the other country to make a political decision is the message that the South Korean government is making enough efforts to resolve the forced labor issue from multiple angles. In addition, while director-general-level and high-level dialogues must be held from time to time until an agreement is reached, there is a firm determination that the talks cannot be left idle without any results. Minister Park’s designation of the Japanese leader as the final judge is also read as a head-on remark to resolve the issue with a sense of speed.
However, making a decision is not easy in many ways. Prime Minister Kishida, who has a low approval rating, is unlikely to accept 100% of South Korea’s demands with political burdens, and South Korea, too, may arbitrarily give up or concede compensation for war criminal companies if it considers domestic public opinion and the reactions of victims. because there is no It is in a similar context that the government repeatedly emphasizes that it “does not set a deadline and engage in negotiations” when asked if there is some kind of timeline while advocating “prompt resolution of the problem.”
zoom inDuring the 35-minute meeting between the foreign ministers of Korea and Japan held in Munich, Germany on the 18th (local time), the two sides exchanged candid and sincere opinions on key issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Provided by the Ministry of Foreign AffairsThe face-to-face meeting between the ministers, which took place five months after they met at the United Nations in September of last year, was the second after the Korea-Japan vice-ministerial meeting in Washington on the 13th, after the government disclosed the ‘third-party reimbursement proposal’ and announced the policy of high-level dialogue to seek a solution. It is a high-level meeting held by The third-party reimbursement proposal is a method in which the government-affiliated Foundation for Supporting Victims of Forced Mobilization creates a fund to compensate the victims instead. Our government is urging war criminal companies to contribute financially along with this method, but Japan is not willing to respond. At least, it is known that the two countries narrowed their differences by reaffirming their will to reflect on the past in the joint declaration between Kim Dae-jung and Obuchi in 1998, but the Japanese side has not disclosed who apologized or how.
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “It was a place to confirm the current situation and areas that have been narrowed down in meetings at the working-level and vice-ministerial level, including the director-general level,” and added, “It is true that there are still issues remaining, but today it is meaningful that the head of foreign affairs honestly conveyed our position. ”he explained. He added, “It is not a meeting where the minister meets once and ends, but after the results of the meeting are reported to the home country, consultations at each level will continue until a final conclusion is reached based on guidelines.” This means that working-level talks can be held soon. If the ball is passed to each level frequently, conversations for the sake of dialogue continue, which can increase fatigue on the problem itself, raising another concern.
As much as Japan’s change in attitude, the government has to overcome a huge hurdle to persuade victims of forced labor and their bereaved families. The aging of not only the victims but also the bereaved families is a factor that cannot be ignored. Trying to meet as many bereaved families as possible and listen to their opinions comes from the judgment that the problem cannot be easily resolved without their cooperation.
With reports that each bereaved family has a slightly different position on compensation, the government is working hard on one-on-one persuasion. Before and after this ministerial-level meeting, the government is known to have detected that the Japanese side is also very interested in trends in Korea, such as the position of victims and bereaved families. If various voices come out, Japan seems to pay attention as it can expand the range of maneuver in resolving the compensation issue.
Munich = Excited
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.