- South Korea has made a decisive move to settle the dispute with Japan over compensation for former Korean forced labourers.
- Secretary of State Park Jin announced plans in Seoul for victims of forced labor to be compensated through a fund.
- Although there will be no direct payments from Japan, contributions from companies that have benefited from a South Korean-Japanese agreement since 1965 will be used.
Relations between the two countries are still strained by the legacy of the brutal Japanese occupation of South Korea between 1910 and 1945. According to information from Seoul, around 780,000 Koreans were forced to do forced labor during Japan’s colonial rule over Korea. In addition, many Korean women were used as forced prostitutes for Japanese soldiers.
The Japanese government argues that all claims by Korean forced laborers are settled under the 1965 bilateral agreement. South Korea and Japan had established diplomatic relations at the time, and Japan financed an $800 million aid package for South Korea to compensate for the injustice experienced during the occupation.
Hoping for voluntary contributions
South Korea’s plan, which has now been unveiled, is to set up a foundation to accept donations from major South Korean companies that benefited from payments made by Japan as a result of the 1965 agreement. This money will then be used to compensate Korean victims of Japanese forced labor.
Legend:
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin announced a plan whereby victims or their survivors would be compensated through a fund.
Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin said he was also hoping for “voluntary contributions” from Japanese companies and a “comprehensive apology” from Tokyo. Japanese media had already reported on corresponding plans from Japan in advance.
Central to better relationships
Park Jin described the compensation plans as central to better relations between South Korea and Japan. The cooperation between the two countries is “very important in all areas of diplomacy, the economy and security policy”.
The Japanese government welcomed South Korea’s plan. Japan appreciates the measures announced by Seoul as an “attempt to restore healthy relations between Japan and South Korea,” Foreign Minister Hayashi said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the plan was “groundbreaking”. Washington was “impressed” by the efforts of Japan and South Korea to “promote their bilateral relations”. Both South Korea and Japan are important US regional allies.