Moon Jae-in calls for diplomatic channels to resolve outstanding Korean and Japanese cases

When South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a New Year’s press conference at the Blue House at the Presidential Palace on the 18th, he once again called for a diplomatic solution to the thorny issue between South Korea and Japan.

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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 19 (Reporter Liu Xiuling) When South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a New Year’s press conference on the 18th at the Blue House, the presidential palace, he once again called for a diplomatic solution to the thorny issue between South Korea and Japan.

Since the South Korean court ruled that Japanese companies should compensate Korean workers forcibly recruited during World War II at the end of 2018, relations between South Korea and Japan have deteriorated. A South Korean court ruled on the 8th of this month that the Japanese government should compensate the victims of the former “comfort women”, which led to increased tension between the two countries.

On May 10, 2020, at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivered a special speech on the third anniversary of his inauguration. (Issued by Xinhua News Agency, courtesy of the Blue House)

Moon Jae-in said on the 18th that there are some unresolved issues between South Korea and Japan, including the issue of Japan’s export control to South Korea and the issue of former labor victims’ claims against Japan. In the process of promoting the settlement of these issues through diplomatic channels, another verdict involving the victims of the original “comfort women” appeared, which is a bit embarrassing.

Regarding labor claims against Japan, Moon Jae-in told reporters: “I think it is not advisable to realize (Japanese company assets) by means of enforcement is not advisable to develop bilateral relations. Before that step, we should first obtain the plaintiff’s consent. Diplomatic solution.”

The Japanese media interpreted that with regard to labor claims, the South Korean government has always insisted on “respecting judicial judgments.” Moon Jae-in’s above statement showed changes.

On January 11, 2017, in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, people put hats and scarves on the statues of “comfort women” girls. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yao Qilin)

Regarding the Korean court ruling the Japanese government to compensate 12 Korean “comfort women”, Moon Jae-in mentioned on the 18th the agreement reached by the South Korean and Japanese governments on the issue of “comfort women” in 2015, saying that South Korea recognized that it was an “official agreement” “On the basis of that agreement, we will work with Japan to find a solution that can obtain the consent of the victims.

Regarding Moon Jae-in’s remarks, the Japanese Deputy Cabinet Secretary Sakai Doctrine said that the Japanese government has noticed the latest position of the South Korean side and will “closely monitor” the actual actions of the South Korean side. A Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official who did not want to be named told Kyodo News: “We will not take any action when the South Korean side has not proposed specific measures. We will wait and see whether (South Korea) can come up with a solution. “

Edit: Kongming

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