United States: Japan and South Korea have reached an agreement to end their decades-long dispute over Tokyo's use of Korean sex slaves and other forms of forced labor during World War II by establishing a youth scholarship program.
According to media reports, the agreement, which is expected to be made public on Monday, is likely to spark controversy in South Korea because it will not ask Japan to directly compensate its living victims or make a fresh apology.
The youth fund, which will fund scholarships and promote cross-border dialogue, will receive contributions from Japanese businesses. However, Tokyo will not donate to the foundation that is supposed to pay compensation for the victims.
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Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel were both ordered by a South Korean court in 2018 to compensate forced laborers recruited during the 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean peninsula. However, none of the companies will follow through on that decision.
Representatives of the Japanese government argue that a 1965 treaty, which normalized relations between the two countries, resolved all issues related to reparations.
As a "compensation fee", that agreement included loans and aid totaling $800 million. Foundations for victims of slave labor will now be funded by recipients of that aid, such as steel maker Posco Holdings.
In subsequent decades, the issue has come up several times, with South Koreans criticizing Japan for its alleged lack of remorse and adopting textbooks that fail to educate Japanese children about the atrocities committed during colonialism. . Stayed
The dispute has not been resolved by previous agreements. For example, a 2015 settlement that was said to resolve compensation claims "irrevocably" came under criticism from survivors of victims.
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The new agreement calls on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to announce his government's intention to reaffirm a joint statement from 1998 in which then-Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi made amends to the Korean people for the "catastrophic damage and pain" suffered during the occupation. blamed. had expressed regret.
The new agreement calls for increasing bilateral trade and diplomatic ties. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is under pressure from the US to strike a deal with Japan so that the three countries can cooperate more closely to address security threats posed by North Korea.
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Next month, Yoon will travel to Washington for a state visit. His national security adviser Kim Sung-han told reporters the agreement with Japan was aimed at benefiting generations to come as the countries entered "a new era in bilateral relations" on Sunday. Kim Sung-han then left for a five-day visit to the US.