International

S.Korea, Japan foreign ministers meet to tackle historical disputes

By Josh Smith

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean Overseas Minister Park Jin met in Tokyo on Monday together with his Japanese counterpart, carrying a message of reconciliation in hopes that the neighbours can overcome historic disputes and restore strained ties.

Relations have been fraught for years over the bitter legacy of Japan’s occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. Disputes concern points from wartime pressured labour to export controls, however each nations have expressed curiosity in enhancing relations.

Park advised Japan’s Overseas Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi that he would attempt to resolve the pressured labour difficulty earlier than a ruling on compensation funds, with each ministers agreeing to discover a fast resolution, the Japanese international ministry stated in an announcement.

Japanese officers say you will need to enhance ties, however have appeared to Seoul for proposals to resolve disputes together with South Korean courtroom orders to grab belongings of Japanese firms accused of not compensating some colonial-era labourers.

South Korea’s Supreme Courtroom is predicted to make a closing determination on liquidating the belongings in August or September, and Tokyo has warned of significant repercussions if the orders are enforced.

Park smiled as he bumped elbows on the assembly with Hayashi on his first journey to the Japanese capital since South Korea’s new President Yoon Suk-yeol took workplace in Might.

Chatting with reporters in Seoul earlier than flying to Tokyo, Park described his journey as “very significant”. He stated he would inform the Japanese aspect that Yoon had a robust will to enhance South Korea-Japan relations.

The assembly got here towards the backdrop of efforts by the USA to encourage each its key North Asian allies to fix ties and construct co-operation on points akin to North Korea’s missile and nuclear programmes and China’s rising affect.

The 2 international ministers stated they might cooperate additional in coping with North Korea and agreed to speed up bilateral dialogue within the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in line with Japan’s international ministry.

They “agreed that the course of Japan-South Korea, and Japan-South Korea and U.S. cooperation has by no means been extra vital,” it stated.

Hayashi and Park agreed to “resolutely reply to additional North Korea provocations, whereas additionally maintaining the door open for dialogue and selling a versatile and open diplomatic strategy,” South Korea’s international ministry stated in an announcement.

South Korean officers hoped the high-level go to would launch talks to safe a breakthrough within the disputes, regardless of considerations that the demise of former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe might change Japan’s coverage priorities.

The journey goals at “turning on the faucet” for severe talks on points about pressured labour, which stalled beneath Yoon’s predecessor, a senior official dealing with Japan coverage advised Reuters final week.

(Reporting by Josh Smith; extra reporting by Ju-min Park; Modifying by Clarence Fernandez)



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