Seoul announced a compensation mechanism for people forced to work during the Japanese occupation of the country from 1910-1945.
South Korea and Japan are close to resolving a dispute over the exploitation of Korean labor during the 1910-1945 Japanese occupation. This was reported by Reuters on March 6.
It was noted that a labor dispute, as well as a conflict over women taken to Japanese military brothels, prevented the normalization of relations between the two countries for many years.
South Korean authorities said Monday that its companies will pay compensation to people forced to work during the Japanese occupation in an attempt to improve strained relations that have hampered trade and cooperation between the two countries.
The proposal was approved in Tokyo but prompted immediate opposition from some of the victims and South Korea’s main opposition party, which accused the government of capitulation.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin clarified that Seoul will pay compensation to former forced laborers through existing public funds financed by private companies.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry stressed that Japanese companies would not pay under the plan, but they would not be barred from making donations if they chose.
The agency recalled that when Seoul first advanced the proposal in January, it drew backlash from victims and their families because it excluded contributions from Japanese companies, including those ordered by South Korean courts. to pay reparations.
South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing unnamed government sources, said that as part of the deal, Seoul and Tokyo have tentatively agreed to set up a separate “future youth fund” to sponsor scholarships from companies in both countries.
As you know, relations between the two countries have fallen to their lowest level in decades after South Korea’s Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to former forced laborers. Fifteen South Koreans won such cases, but none of them received compensation.
Japan maintains that the reparations issue has been settled in accordance with the 1965 agreement and that the Government’s position on the issue has not changed.
The situation escalated into a trade dispute as Tokyo tightened export restrictions to South Korea of high-tech materials used in displays and smartphone chips. South Korean tech firms such as Samsung, SK Hynix and LG Display were affected.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.