Seok Dong-hyun, secretary-general of the Democratic Peace Unification Advisory Council (Democratic Peace Tongtong), an advisory body to the President, expressed his strong support for the government-announced solution for compensation for victims of forced labor during the Japanese occupation.
In a post posted on Facebook on the 7th, Deputy Minister Seok argued, “I deeply agree with the resolution of forced labor in Korea and Japan announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.”
He said, “Apart from simply pros and cons, the method is a solution that conforms to international law, not the raft law.”
He also said, “Let’s stop asking for reflection or apology from Japan now,” and said, “Among the countries that were under colonial rule, there is no other country other than Korea that still insists on an apology or compensation.”
Then, he said, “It’s not that the Japanese emperor or prime minister didn’t apologize,” and asked once more, “I’ve done it many times, but I don’t have sincerity, and I ask once more and once more… Will the crotch of my pants (trousers) tug at me even following 100 years?” did.
Regarding the government’s choice of ‘third-party reimbursement’ as a method of compensation, Minister Seok also said, “It does not mean that the state arbitrarily deprives individual citizens of their right to make claims, but instead of prohibiting individual citizens from exercising their right to make claims for the greater good, the government It should be understood as the concept of compensation.”
He added, “There is an understandable sense of the individual’s feelings, such as ‘I don’t like the state’s representation for my damages, and I must get compensation from the other country. He said, “I am ignorant of international relations.”
Deputy Director Seok also said, “The wasteful controversy and national loss caused by a single ruling that a Supreme Court justice made as if it were a foolish independence movement (?) without referring to the Supreme Court and without consulting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the International Law Association was too great.” He also criticized the earlier court ruling.
Previously, on the 6th, the government officially announced a “third-party reimbursement” solution in which the Foundation for Supporting Victims of Forced Mobilization under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, on behalf of Japanese war criminal companies, pays compensation to victims whose compensation was finalized by the Supreme Court in 2018. there is.
It has been 4 years and 4 months since the Supreme Court ruled in October and November 2018 once morest the defendant companies (New Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), “Compensate 100 million to 150 million won per person to the victims.” Victims’ organizations are protesting, saying that the purpose of the Supreme Court’s ruling has faded as the Japanese war criminal companies specified in the ruling are not held accountable.
It is known that the foundation will pay the judgment money to 15 plaintiffs who won three Supreme Court judgments in 2018, and the compensation to be paid to them is said to reach 4 billion won, including interest for delay.
Reporter Lee Beom-soo
