Abe says he may consider Moon Hee-sang’s proposal for forced labor issue, report says

Posted on : 2019-11-22 16:12 KST Modified on : 2019-11-22 16:12 KST
NHK reports Japanese prime minister’s remarks ask for S. Korea to “keep its promise”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Hankyoreh archives)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Hankyoreh archives)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the solution to the forced labor issue proposed by South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang during a recent visit to Japan “could be pursued if South Korea keeps its promise,” a Japanese news outlet reported.

Abe’s remarks were reported by the NHK network on Nov. 20 as having been made in response to an explanation of Moon’s proposed solution by Takeo Kawamura, chief secretary of the Japan-South Korea Parliamentarians’ Union, during a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister at his official residence in Tokyo.

During a talk at Waseda University on Nov. 5, Moon proposed the creation of a fund through voluntary contributions from Japanese and South Korean businesses and members of the public, which South Korea would use to pursue legislation comprehensively resolving historical issues including forced labor and the “comfort women.”

In his explanation to Abe, Kawamura said Moon was “making efforts in various ways,” adding that South Korea would “not be knocking down the framework of the [1965] Japan-South Korean Claims Settlement Agreement.” In response, Abe said the proposal “could be pursued if South Korea firmly keeps its promise,” NHK reported.

While some Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers in particular have objected to the proposal’s idea for Japanese companies to pay contributions, the overall attitude appears to be that a voluntary funding approach may be worth considering. By emphasizing the voluntary nature of the contributions, the approach could eliminate the sense that payments by Japanese companies represent an “apology” and “compensation” for the forced labor issue, observers have noted.

Idea emphasizes voluntary nature of contributions

Commenting on Moon’s proposal at a Nov. 14 press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Tokyo, Kenichiro Sasae, a former Japanese vice minister for foreign affairs, said, “It wouldn’t be out of the question if Japanese and South Korean businesses were doing it voluntarily.”

Meanwhile, NHK also quoted remarks from Abe about the South Korea-Japan General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) during his meeting with Kawamura.

“We are continuing our discussions. We haven’t reached the stage of giving up, and we’re narrowly keeping [the discussions] going,” he was quoted as saying.

By Cho Ki-weon, Tokyo correspondent

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

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