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South Korean President Moon Jae-in addresses Japan-South Korean Parliamentarians’ Union Chairperson Fukushiro Nukaga and his Japanese delegation during a meeting with a union delegation at the Blue House on Dec. 14. (Blue House photo pool)
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President’s remarks in response to Japan-South Korean Parliamentarians’ Union Chairperson Fukushiro Nukaga
South Korean President Moon Jae-in stated his position on Dec. 14 regarding a recent Supreme Court decision ordering a Japanese company to compensate victims of forced conscription during the Japanese occupation. “[The Supreme Court] concluded that while the Treaty on Basic Relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan is valid, the right of individual workers to claim damages from Japanese businesses was not also extinguished,” Moon said. His statement came in response to remarks by Japan-South Korean Parliamentarians’ Union Chairperson Fukushiro Nukaga, who said in a meeting with a union delegation at the Blue House that day that he “looks forward to appropriate action and response measures from South Korea on the disbanding of the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation and the conscripted worker decision.” In his reply, Moon said the Supreme Court decision “did not negate the Treaty on Basic Relations.” On Oct. 30, the Supreme Court issued a ruling ordering the Japanese company Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal to pay 100 billion won (US$88,000) each to victims of conscription. “The issue of forcibly conscripted workers is a judicial decision. Like Japan, South Korea has a firmly established separation of powers, and the South Korean government is obliged to respect this,” Moon explained. “The issue calls for cautious and restrained language to avoid stirring up hostile feelings among people in both countries. To harm the friendly feelings between our two sides is not helpful for the advancement of future South Korea-Japan relations,” he continued. Commenting on the disbanding of the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation for comfort women survivors, Moon explained, “Its activities and functions have long been suspended, and nearly all of the directors have stepped down.” “The foundation was disbanded because money was being spent solely on management and maintenance without any activities taking place,” he said. He also expressed hopes that the two sides “can discuss ways for the balance and the one billion yen (US$8.8 million) [contributed by Japan as part of an inter-governmental agreement on the comfort women issue] can be used appropriate in line with the original aims.” He went on to stress, “Nothing has changed since I took office in terms of the need to confront history and resolve issues while approaching the relationship of future-oriented development between our two countries as a separate issue.” By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
