"Repay Japan's debts with Korean money! Japan doesn't even have to take 1 yen"

　　China News Service, March 9th (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) Recently, a "historical unsolved case" that could affect the direction of diplomacy caused an uproar between China's two neighboring countries, South Korea and Japan. Compensation issues for victims of national labor.

　　As the South Korean government announced that the South Korean foundation would compensate the victims for the losses of the laborers, this old incident was strongly opposed by the South Korean victims and their families, opposition parties and social groups.

　　The turmoil has not subsided, and there is new news-from March to May, South Korean President Yin Xiyue may have met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US President Biden.

And the focus of their talks may cause more waves...

Data map: South Korean President Yin Xiyue.

[From "aggressor" to "partner"]

　　In fact, when it comes to how to treat Japan, Yin Xiyue's remarks have caused controversy before.

　　At the commemoration ceremony for the 104th anniversary of the March 1st Movement recently, Yoon Suk-yue said that he believes that Japan is "transforming from a militaristic aggressor to a partner that shares universal values ​​with South Korea and works hand in hand on economic security and global issues."

　　As soon as this remark came out, many Koreans couldn't stand it anymore.

On March 1, local time, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held a bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak to commemorate the 104th anniversary of the March First Movement.

　　In the hearts of Koreans, the "March 1st Movement" has a special meaning.

In 1919, 33 “National Representatives” of North Korean religious circles and young students launched demonstrations and petitions, demanding the independence of North Korea and opposing Japanese colonial rule.

The movement quickly developed into a massive popular uprising that swept across the Korean peninsula.

Due to the Japanese suppression, the movement ended in failure.

　　However, this national liberation movement demonstrated the heroic spirit of the people of the Korean peninsula against Japanese colonial rule and left a deep mark in history.

　　In 1949, the South Korean government designated March 1 as a national legal memorial day.

On this anniversary, which has been passed down from generation to generation, the president of his country suddenly publicly announced that the "aggressor" has become a "partner". From the perspective of national sentiment, this is unacceptable to many people in South Korea.

　　[

]

　　The Korean people have not yet recovered, and the government's "third-party compensation" plan that followed has set off a tsunami of public opinion.

Let's take a look at what is going on:

Origin of the program

　　The South Korean government is trying to resolve the issue of Korean workers forced by Japan in World War II to claim compensation from Japan

plaintiff

　　15 Korean staff, including

　　Former worker at Nippon Steel Corporation

　　Former worker at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hiroshima

　　Former member of the Nagoya Mitsubishi Hardworking Team

defendant

　　japan steel co., ltd.

　　Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Data map: On December 18, 1965, Korean Foreign Minister Lee Dong-won and Japanese Foreign Minister Etsuzaburo Shiina celebrated the entry into force of the "Korea-Japan Claim Rights Agreement" in the Chief Office of the Government Office Building.

Image source: Hankyoreh

Reason for complaint

　　During World War II, he was forcibly conscripted to work in Japan and engaged in dangerous labor in a harsh environment

　　Injured and sick after the Hiroshima atomic bombing in 1945

　　No compensation from Japan

The amount of compensation

　　100 million to 150 million won (approximately RMB 530,000 to 792,000 yuan) per person

　　15 people were sentenced to a total of about 4 billion won in compensation + arrears of interest (about 21.12 million yuan)

related timeline

　　In the early years, Korean victims of forced labor failed to appeal in Japan

　　Started in 2005, filed a lawsuit in South Korea, but still not supported

　　In 2012, the South Korean Grand Court overturned the previous judgment, affirming that the 1965 "Korea-Japan Claim Rights Agreement" signed when South Korea and Japan resumed diplomatic relations does not hinder the individual's right to claim compensation, and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court for retrial

　　In 2013, the Seoul High Court ruled that the Japanese company should compensate the plaintiff, and the defendant Japanese company appealed

　　In 2018, the South Korean Grand Court (Supreme Court) made a final ruling, announcing that the Japanese side must compensate the Korean plaintiff in three lawsuits, and the Japanese company refused to obey the judgment

　　In 2019, Japan retaliated by imposing controls on three types of raw materials exported to South Korea's semiconductor industry, and kicked South Korea out of the export management preferential treatment target country

　　In 2019, South Korea filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the grounds that Japan’s export restrictions violated WTO rules, and once threatened to suspend the "Korea-Japan Military Intelligence Protection Agreement."

　　In 2021, a South Korean court ordered the enforcement of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' 850 million won in asset compensation to the South Korean plaintiff, and the Japanese side was highly dissatisfied

　　In 2023, the South Korean government announced a compensation plan for victims of forced labor

Yoon Seok-yue government plan

　　The "Japanese Imperialist Forced Mobilization Victim Support Foundation" under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security of the Korean Government paid the compensation and arrears of interest on its behalf

　　Korean companies 'voluntary donations' to raise funds

　　It is expected to include 16 companies including POSCO, Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation (KT&G), which benefited from the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Agreement

more lawsuits

　　There are about 1,000 plaintiffs in similar lawsuits

　　In addition to the 15 people who have won the lawsuit, it is estimated that about 200 people will eventually win the lawsuit

　　Compensation is expected to total 20 billion to 30 billion won

　　【

】

　　According to South Korean statistics, in the 35 years since Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945, at least 1 million South Korean laborers were forcibly recruited to Japan, and many of them died under inhuman torture.

　　Obviously, Japan's history of aggression and lack of self-reflection have become South Korea's unresolved knots for many years.

National hatred and family hatred, old and new are intertwined. In this atmosphere, the "substituting compensation" plan was released, and the effect can be imagined.

　　Over the past few days, Korean forced labor victims and their families, civic groups, opposition parties and other representatives have gathered and protested many times, shouting the slogan "Condemn the humiliating diplomacy".

On March 1, 2023, South Korean people gathered near the Japanese embassy in Seoul, holding protest banners with slogans such as "Stop humiliating diplomatic Korea-Japan agreement".

　　Demonstrators: "War criminal enterprises must participate in fundraising (compensation), even if it is only 1 yen"!

　　Lawyer representing the victim of forced labor: "The plan is equivalent to using the money of the Korean company to pay off the debt owed by the Japanese defendant company. Japan...doesn't even need to take 1 yen."

　　Liang Jinde, a victim of forced labor in his 90s: "I should get compensation from the criminal Japan. I will never accept money like begging"!

On March 1, 2023, Liang Jinde, a victim of forced labor in Japan, participated in a rally in Seoul.

　　Lee Jae-myung, representative of South Korea's largest opposition party, the Common Democratic Party: "This is the biggest shame and stain in South Korea's diplomatic history."

　　Li Guoyan, chairman of the "Japanese Imperialist Forced Mobilization Citizens Organization": Mitsubishi Heavy Industries once said that it would provide scholarships for Korean students, but now it is mentioned again, as if "the rotten food that was placed on the sacrificial table is used as a bargaining chip."

　　"Hankyoreh" editorial: "The South Korean government's solution is extremely bad", trying to "reverse the clock of history", is a "surrender-like solution by raising the white flag".

　　【

]

　　However, strong opposition voices failed to stop the pace of Yin Xiyue's government.

　　Chen Yang, a visiting researcher at the Japanese Studies Center of Liaoning University, told a reporter from Chinanews.com that the Yin Xiyue government's pursuit of improving relations with Japan may be based on various considerations:

First, expect to fulfill campaign promises and boost sluggish approval ratings.

　　Since taking office in May 2022, a feature of Yin Xiyue's government's diplomacy has been to actively improve relations with Japan, which is to fulfill its promise during the election.

　　Chen Yang said that as a "political amateur", Yin Xiyue had no government work experience before becoming president, and became the focus of criticism from the opposition party; after taking office, he lacked sufficient political achievements in general.

Improving relations with Japan can not only be different from the previous government, but also demonstrate personal ability and establish diplomatic achievements.

　　According to the results of the March 8 survey by the South Korean polling agency HANGIL Research, Yin Xiyue’s administration rate was 44.1%, the highest since July 2022, but 53.8% of the respondents still gave negative comments.

　　Therefore, the Yin Xiyue government's improvement of relations with Japan is to boost the sluggish approval rate.

Second, "reciprocate the favor" and strive for economic and security interests.

　　This time, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng all praised South Korea's move, believing that it can bring Japan-South Korea relations, which have been stagnant for many years, back on track.

　　If Yin Xiyue's government is "throwing peaches" to Japan, then the Kishida government's statement is "repaying Li", Chen Yang pointed out.

He was also concerned that on the same day that the South Korean side announced the labor compensation plan, the Japanese government announced that it would discuss with the South Korean side on relaxing export restrictions to South Korea.

　　The Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) reported that South Korea proposed a solution that satisfied the Japanese side, which is expected to lift the mutual boycott of trade between the two countries.

Yonhap News Agency quoted Yin Xiyue himself as saying that if South Korea and Japan resume economic exchanges in an all-round way, it will not only be an issue of export trade restrictions and a white list of simplified export procedures, but Korean companies will get huge benefits.

　　Japan's Kyodo News and Yonhap News Agency said that Yin Xiyue is expected to visit Japan on March 16 and 17 to hold summit talks with Kishida.

In this regard, Chen Yang pointed out that this will help restart the shuttle diplomacy between the leaders of South Korea and Japan.

Data map: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

　　South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo and other sources revealed that, in addition to economic issues, the key topics of the meeting between Yoon Seok-yue and Kishida are expected to include:

　　·Strengthen cooperation in the field of security and discuss the expansion of joint training between the United States, Japan and South Korea

　　Establish a sharing mechanism for the US, Japan, and South Korea to detect and track North Korean nuclear and missile movements as soon as possible

　　· Or discuss inviting Yin Xiyue to the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan in May

　　Discussing the settlement of the South Korean Navy's fire control radar to irradiate Japanese patrol planes, etc.

　　These "big plans" must be viewed in combination with the strategic intentions of the United States, the big country behind Japan and South Korea.

Third, cooperate with the US strategy and show loyalty to the US.

　　On the 8th, Japanese media reported that the US government has proposed to Japan and South Korea to establish a US-Japan-South Korea nuclear deterrence consultation mechanism to ensure Japan and South Korea's trust in the US "extended deterrence".

　　The "nuclear umbrella" is a manifestation of the United States' "extended deterrence".

It means that when an ally suffers or is about to suffer a nuclear attack, the United States uses its own nuclear weapons to attack, retaliate or deter countries that pose a threat to its allies.

It is self-evident what impact the United States will have on the situation in Northeast Asia if it brings up the concept of the Cold War to Japan and South Korea.

　　Regarding the enhanced interaction between Japan and South Korea, Jun Nishino, a professor at Keio University in Japan, commented: "In view of the current tense situation in East Asia, Japan and South Korea must strengthen their deterrence with the backing of the United States. The two sides strive to seek common ground while reserving differences in order to stabilize Japan. The U.S.-South Korea Strategic Architecture."

　　When South Korea's "substituting compensation" plan was announced, those who expressed their appreciation as quickly as the Japanese side included US President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, US Ambassador to South Korea Goldberg and others.

Biden believes that the relationship between South Korea and Japan has "opened a new breakthrough chapter."

　　Chen Yang pointed out that both Japan and South Korea are allies of the United States, but the United States is actually not satisfied with the policy of the previous South Korean government toward Japan, and believes that it is not conducive to building a "miniature NATO" in Northeast Asia.

　　Yin Xiyue's improvement of relations with Japan since he became president is also a sign of loyalty to the United States, showing that South Korea is willing to cooperate with the deployment of the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" and indirectly promote the trilateral security cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea. This will enable Yin Xiyue to gain more in dealing with the Korean Peninsula issue. Confidence.

【Will the voice of history be drowned out?

】

　　Indeed, after seeing Kishida, Yin Xiyue has a bigger diplomatic drama.

He is expected to visit the United States at the end of April and hold summit talks with US President Joe Biden.

The two sides intend not only to celebrate the achievements of the 70-year South Korea-US alliance, but also to discuss future development in depth.

Data map: US President Biden.

China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting

　　On the evening of the 7th, Kim Eun-hye, Chief Secretary of the South Korean Presidential Office Gazette, issued a briefing stating that joint defense posture, extended deterrence, future cutting-edge technology, economic security, cultural and personnel exchanges, regional and international challenges, etc. will all be the focus of the Korea-US summit talks. focus.

　　The intriguing keywords seem to reveal that the changing situation in the atmosphere of deepening strategic cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea is kicking off...

　　Having said that, what I have to ask is, when the Japanese Prime Minister's Office and the White House of the United States hosted a banquet for the guests, would the voices of the comfort women and victims of forced labor be drowned out by the clinking of glasses?

　　"Historical issues have never been simple reparations." For Korean laborers who were forced into slavery and their relatives, what they need is not money, but a sincere apology and introspection from Japan, the former perpetrator, Chen Yang concluded. .

(over)