![]() KUHN: "The Yoon Suk-yeol government's plan goes against the ruling by the South Korean Supreme Court," she points out. Seoul-based lawyer Jang Yoon-mi says South Korea's government can't legally compensate the laborers against their will. The surviving forced laborers have made it clear they want to be compensated by Japan, not South Korea. KUHN: So South Korea proposed compensating the laborers through a Korean foundation, to which Japanese firms could contribute if they want to. SNEIDER: But President Yoon has basically made a political decision that improving relations with Japan is strategically too important to his broader agenda to let that be an obstacle. The companies refused, arguing that the issue had been settled when Japan and South Korea established diplomatic ties in 1965. KUHN: In 2018, South Korea's Supreme Court ordered two Japanese companies to compensate Koreans who were forced to work for them. SNEIDER: In some ways, the visit of President Yoon to Japan is a recognition of the failure to reach an agreement. ![]() KUHN: Daniel Sneider is a Stanford University expert on U.S. The two sides had been deadlocked over the issue until this month, when South Korea unilaterally suggested a solution.ĭANIEL SNEIDER: This is not an agreement. But underlying problems remain, including a historical feud over Koreans forced to work for Japanese companies during World War II. They pledged to cooperate on security challenges such as North Korea, which launched what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile just hours before the summit. KUHN: The leaders announced they would resume reciprocal visits and normalize intelligence sharing. PRIME MINISTER FUMIO KISHIDA: (Through interpreter) This week, as the cherry blossoms bloomed in Tokyo, we welcomed the president of South Korea to Japan for the first bilateral visit in about 12 years after going through a long winter. ![]() Kishida illustrated his point with a springtime metaphor. As NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul, the news is sure to be welcomed in Washington.ĪNTHONY KUHN, BYLINE: After an 85-minute-long summit, President Yoon Suk-yeol and his host, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, told reporters that their two countries are beginning a new chapter. allies - despite having all these things in common, ties between South Korea and Japan have been so frosty that their leaders have not held a bilateral summit for 12 years that is, until today in Tokyo. : Ĭlose neighbors, affluent democracies, U.S.
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