On the 9th, foreign ministers of Korea and Japan held telephone talks over the ruling of a Korean court that held the Japanese government responsible for compensation for victims of comfort women.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Minister Kang Kyung-hwa spoke about 20 minutes at the request of Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu on the morning of that day and exchanged opinions on matters related to the judgment of the Japanese military comfort women victim.
According to Kyodo News Agency, Foreign Minister Motegi, who is staying in Brazil to handle the trip to Latin America and Africa, demanded that Minister Kang take urgent action to correct the “violation of international law”, saying he was “very sorry”.
In response, after explaining the position of the Korean government, Minister Kang ordered the Japanese government to refrain from excessive reactions, saying, “A calm response is necessary.”
However, Foreign Minister Motegi pointed out that “(the Korean court) denies the principle of sovereign immunity (state immunity) under international law, and the Japanese government can never accept a ruling that acknowledges the plaintiff’s claim,” Kyodo News Agency said.
He also referred to the Korea-Japan Claims Agreement in 1965 and the’Comfort Women Agreement’ between Korea and Japan in 2015, emphasizing that “the comfort women issue has confirmed the’final and irreversible solution’ between the two governments.”
The two ministers agreed to continue close communication between diplomatic authorities on various issues between Korea and Japan, including the judgment on comfort women.
Foreign Minister Motegi responded to a Japanese reporter’s online interview after a call with Minister Kang, saying, “There was an abnormal situation that could not be thought of even under international law or the relationship between the two countries.” “The two countries were (already) very serious relations. With this ruling, there is a growing concern that the relationship will deteriorate rapidly.”
He said, “If you talk with common sense, you have come up with a ruling that you can’t think of.”
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited South Korean Ambassador Nam Kwan-pyo to Japan shortly after the decision of the Seoul Central District Court came out the day before.
Deputy Secretary-General Takeo Akiba on behalf of Foreign Minister Motegi came out in the lead of the South Ambassador, and said, “It is very regrettable that (the Korean court) denies the principle of sovereign immunity under international law. “Said the position.
Section 34 of the Civil Agreement of the Seoul Central District Court (President Judge Kim Jeong-gon) said, “Pay 100 million won per person to the plaintiffs” in a lawsuit filed against the Japanese government by 12 victims of comfort women, including the late grandmother Bae Chun-hee It was ruled in favor.
The Japanese government is strongly protesting that it can never accept the ruling under the principle of state immunity, stating that’a court of one country cannot judge another country as a party to lawsuit’.
In addition, it is argued that the comfort women issue was finally resolved through the Korea-Japan Claims Agreement in 1965 and the agreement of the Foreign Ministers of Korea and Japan in 2015.
However, the Korean government has maintained the position that it cannot be a real solution as it does not properly reflect the victims’ opinions on the comfort women agreement, and that the Japanese government should take steps to respond to the spirit of responsibility and apology and reflection expressed by the Japanese government.
The previous day, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a position that “the government will respect the judgment of the court and will do whatever it can to restore the honor and dignity of the comfort women victims.”
In addition, he said, “We will make every effort to continue constructive and future-oriented cooperation between the two countries,” he said, expressing his intention that he did not want the Korea-Japan relations to worsen with the ruling.
(yunhap news)