The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assessed that “it can be seen as an apology for the entire colonial rule” for Japan’s talk of succession to the 1998 ‘Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration’ after the South Korean government’s announcement of a solution to compensation for victims of forced labor during the Japanese occupation. did.
In a meeting with reporters on the 7th, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the ‘Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration’, saying, “There has never been such a comprehensive and milestone declaration in the history of Korea and Japan. The 11-point declaration contains Japan’s ‘severe remorse and apology for its past history’,” he said.
The previous day, the South Korean government announced the final solution to forced labor through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the form of a ‘third party repayment’. This is through the ‘Japanese Forced Mobilization Victims Support Foundation’, a public institution under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, in October-November 2018, in the Supreme Court’s final ruling, the victims who won the case against Japanese war criminal companies (Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) were awarded a judgment (per person). 100 million won or 150 million won) and delayed interest payments. However, domestic companies are expected to participate first in raising the funds for the ruling.
The Japanese side positively evaluated the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ announcement of a solution to compensation for forced labor, saying, “The Japanese government will inherit the position of the previous cabinets on historical awareness, including the joint declaration between the two countries announced in October 1998 (Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration). I confirm that” (Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa) made a statement.
However, some of the victims of forced labor expressed their intention of ‘unacceptable’, saying that both the government’s solution and Japan’s response do not conform to Japan’s sincere apology and Japanese war criminal companies’ participation in compensation, which have been presented as preconditions for the damage compensation solution. state.
In the midst of this, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Regarding Korea-Japan relations, consultations through diplomatic channels are continuing, and there are many issues to cooperate in the future.” There will be,” he said.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the observation that President Yoon Seok-yeol would visit Japan next week at the earliest, saying “nothing has been decided yet” (Spouse Lim Soo-seok).
Along with this, spokesperson Lim said the Japanese government was promoting the re-registration of the Sado Mine in Niigata Prefecture, a site of forced labor for Koreans during the Japanese colonial period, on the UNESCO World Heritage List. At the time Hashima, where the prefecture is located, was registered as a World Heritage site, he said, “It is important for Japan to faithfully implement the follow-up measures it promised itself and the decision of the World Heritage Committee.”
The Japanese government had previously promised to take measures to publicize the fact that Koreans were forced into labor and victims in the process of registering Gunhamdo as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but to this day it has not implemented it.
Spokesperson Lim said, “The government will continue to work with UNESCO and the international community to faithfully reflect the entire history, including the painful history of wartime forced labor.”
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.