◀ Anchor ▶
The Japanese government continued to make absurd remarks at the diplomatic office this year that Korea was illegally occupying Dokdo.
It has been repeating for 6 years already.
Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protested and demanded withdrawal.
While the Japanese Foreign Minister positively evaluated the Yoon Seok-yeol government’s solution to forced labor, he stuck to the existing attitude of denying the term forced labor.
Correspondent Youngjun Hyun in Tokyo reports.
◀ Report ▶
At today’s cabinet meeting, the Japanese government passed a diplomatic blue document claiming that “Dokdo is clearly Japan’s own territory, both in light of historical facts and international law.”
The assertion that Korea is illegally occupying Dokdo without any grounds under international law by stationing guards has also been repeated for the sixth year in a row.
[하야시 요시마사/일본 외무상]
″In addition to an overview of the international situation and Japan’s diplomatic activities over the past year, special issues in Japan’s diplomacy up to March of this year were also described.″
In March, it was explained that Foreign Minister Hayashi had a positive evaluation of the Korean government’s solution to compensation for forced labor.
However, the sentence that Prime Minister Kishida and Foreign Minister Hayashi announced at the time, “We inherit the historical awareness of the previous cabinets,” was omitted, and the Japanese government expressed its position.
Regarding the term “forced mobilization,” the Japanese government has not changed its attitude at all, saying that there is no document that the Japanese government has found any evidence of forced mobilization by the military or government offices.
After the announcement of the Japanese diplomatic blue book, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protested the unfair territorial claim to Dokdo, and called for the immediate withdrawal by inviting the general manager of the Japanese Embassy in Korea.
Looking at the Japanese diplomatic bluebook released today, the solution to compensation for forced labor is packaged as a diplomatic achievement of Japan, not a concession from Korea.
Regarding pending issues such as Dokdo, comfort women, and forced mobilization, Japan is not stepping back from its existing stance.
This is MBC News Hyun Young-joon from Tokyo.
Video coverage: Lee Jang-sang, Kim Jin-ho (Tokyo)
