U.S. allies South Korea and Japan move closer to resolve forced labor feud
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AP
Members of civic groups shout slogans during a rally against the South Korean government's announcement of a plan over the issue of compensation for forced labors, in front of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 6, 2023.
Last week, in the ceremony commemorating the 1919 independence movement against colonial Japan, he said Japan has now become an economic and security partner that shares common values.
"Especially, in overcoming security crises like North Korean nuclear threats, trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. is now more important than ever before," he said. He made no mention of historical disputes.
Foreign Minister Park Jin also stressed the importance of cooperation with Japan at Monday's press conference. "For the national interest and the people of South Korea, we need to end the vicious cycle."
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida welcomed South Korea's proposal, saying it is a "return to a healthy relationship" between the neighboring countries.
President Joe Biden hailed the plan as "a critical step to forge a future for the Korean and Japanese people that is safer, more secure, and more prosperous," in a statement released shortly after the announcement in Seoul.
Whether the resolution can proceed as proposed, however, remains unclear. Victims and civic groups have strongly opposed the plan, criticizing the lack of apology and contribution from the Japanese companies and government.
Yang Geum-deok, who worked at a Mitsubishi factory as a teenager in the 1940s, said an apology is the key to a proper resolution, not a fund collected in South Korea "while someone else is at fault."
"I would rather starve to death than take that money," she said at a press conference on Monday.
Activists called the plan "humiliating" and inattentive to the victims' voices. Lawyer Lim Jae-sung, who represents the victims, said all three surviving victims of the three Supreme Court cases are opposed to the government's plan and will continue to pursue liquidation of Japanese companies' assets.
There are nearly 150,000 South Korean victims of forced labor, according to a government committee. As of January, 67 lawsuits against Japanese companies for reparation are awaiting a verdict.
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Monday, March 6, 2023 at 10:10 am