Nikkei: "LDP Watches Impact on Japan-Korea Relations Amid Korean Justice and Reconciliation Foundation Allegations"

On the 27th, next to the "Regular Wednesday Demonstration for the Resolution of the Japanese Military Comfort Women Victims Issue" held in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, members of a far-right group are protesting against Yoon Mi-hyang, the elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Sankei Shimbun reported on the 31st that Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is closely monitoring the impact of the recent scandal involving the comfort women support organization Justice and Memory (Jeonguiyeondae), which has been embroiled in accounting fraud allegations in South Korea, on Japan-South Korea relations.

The right-leaning Sankei stated in a related article that the LDP is also interested in the Justice and Memory allegations, explaining, "There are aspects related to the 2015 Japan-South Korea (comfort women) agreement, which involved the Japanese government contributing 1 billion yen, and it could potentially affect future bilateral relations."

Sankei also added, "The ruling party is prepared to closely watch the developments of the situation."

In this context, LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Fumio Kishida appeared on the Sankei-affiliated BS Fuji program on the 29th and said regarding the Justice and Memory allegations, "I would like to refrain from commenting on the confusion or internal strife within South Korea, but the Japan-South Korea (comfort women) agreement was a significant decision made by both governments," and claimed, "It was highly regarded by the international community."

Kishida, who was Foreign Minister at the time, was deeply involved in the agreement process during the December 2015 Japan-South Korea comfort women agreement.

His remarks are interpreted as an intention to reassert pressure on the South Korean side to implement the comfort women agreement in light of the Justice and Memory allegations.

In fact, Kishida also stated at a press conference on the 25th, "The Japanese government must firmly demand that (the South Korean side) uphold and implement the agreement."

Sankei added that the Justice and Memory allegations gained attention because Lee Yong-soo, a former Japanese military comfort woman who initially raised the allegations, has repeatedly criticized Japan regarding the comfort women issue.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.