South Korea announces compensation for Japan's forced labour victims; US & Tokyo laud move

South Korea on Monday announced a plan to resolve the dispute with Japan over wartime labour from WWII, saying that the government will monetarily compensate those impacted by Japan's 1910-1945 colonization with funds raised “voluntarily” via private sector donations. The move was hailed by Tokyo as a positive step towards resolving the historic dispute between the two nations that was marred with mistrust and discontentment. 

Funds will be paid to the South Korean foundation instead of the Japanese companies to make up for the grievances and the wartime trauma faced by the laborers. An estimated 7,80,000 Koreans were conscripted into forced labour by Japanese forces during the 35-year occupation, according to the data released by Seoul. 

At a press conference in Japan on Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin announced that the Seoul government "hopes to work with Japan, our closest neighbour, who shares the universal values of liberal democracies, market economies, rule of law and human rights amid the increasingly severe situation on the Korean Peninsula and amid the current grave international situation." 

Voluntary contributions, and a comprehensive apology

Earlier, a South Korean Supreme Court had ruled for the Japanese companies to pay damages to the labourers, as the two countries also sparred over South Korean women forced into Japanese military brothels during the war. South Korea has since demanded an official apology from the Japanese government for its ageing so-called “comfort women” all of whom are now likely to have an average age of 86. Regarding the compensation issue, Japan had repeatedly made its position clear that these issues were resolved by a 1965 treaty. As South announced its plan to compensate the victims, Park noted that he hopes Japan will "positively respond to our major decision today with Japanese companies' voluntary contributions and a comprehensive apology.”

The development comes as Kyodo news referenced an unidentified diplomatic source, as saying that Seoul and Tokyo were planning a March 16-17 visit to Japan by South Korean President Yoon Suk-you. The latter will likely hold an in-person meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Speaking at the parliament, Kishda hailed the compensation move, saying that it is a sign of a “return to a healthy relationship between Japan and South Korea.” "I look forward to continuing to work closely with President Yoon Suk-Yeol to further develop the Japan-South Korea relationship,” he stressed. 

"This announcement will serve as an impetus for the implementation of the measures and the strong expansion of exchanges between Japan and Korea in the political, economic, cultural and other fields,” meanwhile Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told a separate news conference, Monday. 

US lauds the initiative

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a statement, lauded South Korea for the initiative, saying that Washington was “inspired by the work they have done to advance their bilateral relations." He added that the trilateral relationship is "central to our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region." "We applaud Seoul and Tokyo for their courage and vision, and call on the international community to join our commendation of this momentous achievement," Blinken emphasised.