Secretary Kato “I have no intention of appealing”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released official data, “Very sorry”
Kato Katsunobu, Japanese Secretary of State. Prime Minister’s Official Residence
The Japanese government strongly opposed the ruling of the Korean court to compensate victims of Japanese military’comfort women’, saying that it was “violation of international law” and “cannot be accepted”. Japanese Minister Kato Katsunobu said at a regular press conference on the morning of the 8th that he strongly protested against the Korean government, saying, “(The judgment of the Korean court) is very regrettable and cannot be accepted.” Minister Kato emphasized that “the Japanese government has repeatedly expressed the position that this lawsuit should be dismissed as it is not admitted that the Japanese government is subject to the Korean jurisdiction due to the principle of exemption from sovereignty under international law.” He said, “We demand that Korea take appropriate measures to correct violations of international law.” As the lawsuit itself could not be admitted under the principle of sovereign immunity, Minister Kato said, “I have no intention of appealing.” Minister Kato also re-emphasized that the comfort women issue was all ended with an agreement between Korea and Japan. He said, “The issue of property claims between Korea and Japan, including the comfort women issue, was completely resolved with the Korea-Japan Claims Agreement in 1965.” He said, “The comfort women issue was finally and irreversibly resolved through the Korea-Japan agreement in December 2015. It has been confirmed at,” he said. “The Japanese government cannot comply with the Korean jurisdiction as the principle of exemption from sovereignty under international law is applied in similar suits for comfort women scheduled to be sentenced on the 13th,” said Minister Kato. “The lawsuit should be dismissed.” He added, “I strongly urge the Korean government to comply with the Korea-Japan agreement and take appropriate responses.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released official data and said, “I called the Korean Ambassador to Japan Nam Kwan-pyo and strongly protested that it could not accept this ruling.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed, “It is very regrettable that the ruling came to admit the lawsuit of the plaintiff (comfort women victims) who denies the principle of sovereign immunity under international law.” By Kim So-yeon, staff reporter [email protected]