A discussion was held on the 11th regarding the issue of compensation for victims of forced labor, which is said to be the biggest pending issue between South Korea and Japan.

Initially, the debate was supposed to be co-hosted by the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians League and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but it could not be held due to the opposition of opposition lawmakers, and it was changed to a co-host with the People’s Power Congressman’s Office, Jeong Jin-seok, chairman of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians League.

Victim support organizations also declared their absence, saying they protested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' insincere response.

Even before the start, the debate proceeded without a small amount of pain and without a proper shape.


"The Korea Foundation pays compensation for donations from Korean companies"

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Looking at the contents announced by Suh Min-jeong, director of the Asia-Pacific Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was one of the participants in the discussion, the 'coexisting debt repayment' method, in which the Foundation for the Victims of Forced Mobilization in Japan, which has been continuously covered in the media, compensates the victims instead by receiving donations from Korean and Japanese companies, is an almost promising solution. looks like

The Victim Support Foundation will repay the victims with the money donated by Korean companies, such as POSCO, without any donations from Japanese companies.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to request a so-called 'sincere response' from Japan, but I have yet to hear that Japan's position has changed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is requesting donations from Korean as well as Japanese companies, but it is hard to imagine that Japanese plaintiff companies, which cannot help but pay attention to the Japanese government, make donations of their own accord.

Same goes for apples.

The Japanese government can't ask for anything more than to inherit the level of discourse that it has been holding so far.


Ministry of Foreign Affairs "The Japanese government has changed"...

what?


Since the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol government, the officials of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who have been consulting with the Japanese government, have actively appealed to the media that the Japanese government is changing compared to the Moon Jae-in administration.

Until then, when meeting with reporters, the Japanese government, which had not responded by saying, "All solutions are in Korea," is no longer saying that, or that Japan is positively viewing Korea's move to improve relations and is seriously engaging in consultations. talked about every

That's not wrong at all.

However, recognizing Korea's willingness to improve relations and changing the government's stance are two different things.

It even makes me wonder if I misunderstood Japan's omotenashi (御持て成し, a unique Japanese custom of welcoming guests) for the positive attitude our government has shown.

In fact, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs adheres to the existing principles and remains at a wait-and-see level regarding the government's plan proposed in this forum.


"The comfort women agreement is nullified... strong distrust"

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The Japanese government's stubborn attitude lies in a deep distrust of the Korean government.

There are concerns that the comfort women agreement reached in 2015 may be happening again, as if it were virtually nullified.

Prime Minister Kishida, who led the agreement as Foreign Minister at the time and even announced the agreement directly when he came to Korea, is not acting hastily because his political life itself could be in danger if the same situation happens again.

The approval rating of his regime also does not exceed the 40% level, and his faction (Kishida faction) does not have great power within the ruling party.

It is understandable that such a passive stance in Korea-Japan relations is inevitable, but there is no way to know how far the Korean government will have to bend in order for the Japanese government to move.


"Japan and Korea must hold hands"


Regardless of what the Kishida government thinks, the South Korean government is aware that the solution to the victims of forced labor that it proposed this time does not serve the national interest.

We also know that domestic public opinion is not good.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others say that they came up with this plan because they know that they will be criticized by the public, but they can no longer stand by the age of the victims and the neglect of Korea-Japan relations.

(Actually, this is an issue that needs to be dealt with once again.) At least after Korea's democratization, I don't think there has ever been a government so friendly to Japan.

It is said that it is a good opportunity for Japan to resolve the strained relationship between Korea and Japan.

If you ask the other person to lower their head instead of holding your hand while not holding out their hand, only the person who extended their hand will be in an awkward situation.

Isn't it obvious what will happen between the two after that?