◀ Anchor ▶
Japanese media reported that “Japan’s apology” and “Korea’s renunciation of the right to indemnity” were key issues in the negotiations between Korea and Japan over the solution to forced labor.
In general, Japan’s will was carried out, but there are still complaints from inside Japan that they should have even given up the right to indemnity.
Correspondent Hyun Young-joon in Tokyo covered the story.
◀ Report ▶
At the end of last month, Funakoshi, director of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, secretly entered Seoul Airport.
Here, I convey Prime Minister Kishida’s intentions to the Korean government.
It was that there might be no rough-and-tumble agreement, and there might never be a new additional apology from the Japanese government.
The Sankei Shimbun reported that following such behind-the-scenes negotiations, Japan’s additional apology was omitted and instead an agreement was reached in the form of a succession to the past apology.
[기시다 후미오/일본 총리 (지난 6일)]
″The government’s position is to inherit the entire position of the previous cabinets regarding historical awareness, including the Korea-Japan Joint Statement announced in October 1998.″
On the other hand, Japan also failed to obtain a promise to give up the right to indemnity.
Citing the precedent of the cancellation of the comfort women agreement, Japan has demanded that our government promise not to exercise its right to indemnity even if the regime changes.
However, observations were also raised in the Japanese government that the Yoon Seok-yeol government might fall into crisis if it stipulates the waiver of the right to indemnity.
In the end, Japan turned down its claim to give up the right to indemnity, and Korea yielded an additional apology from Japan.
Prime Minister Kishida is known to have expressed his intention to accept the final report on February 28, a week before the announcement.
However, despite the evaluation of Japan’s complete victory, there are many complaints from inside Japan that the issue of indemnity rights has not been clearly resolved.
[마쓰바라 진/의원(입헌민주당, 오늘 일본 국회)]
″Can you say for sure that there is no risk of the Foundation exercising its indemnity rights in Korea in the future and seizing the property of Japanese companies once more?″
[하야시 요시마사/외무상]
″It is not appropriate for the government to respond to matters related to regime change or internal affairs of other countries.″
One media even analyzed that the statute of limitations on the right to indemnity under the Korean Civil Code is 10 years, so at least the current ruling party must come to power twice more to extinguish the right to indemnity.
From our point of view, an apology was missing, and from Japan’s point of view, the waiver of the right to indemnity was missing, and the people of both countries are greatly opposed.
For this reason, there is a good chance that a supplementary plan for this issue will come out at the Korea-Japan summit in Tokyo next week.
This is MBC News Hyun Young-joon from Tokyo.
Video coverage: Lee Jang-sang, Kim Jin-ho (Tokyo) / Video editing: Kim Chang-gyu
