Forced Labor and Contaminated Water Disputes Cloud Japan-Korea Relations 'Uncertain Outlook'... Japan Issues Harsh Statements

Koji Domita, Japanese Ambassador to Korea, "To ease South Korea export restrictions, WTO complaints must be resolved first"
Lee Nak-yeon, Democratic Party leader, meets Ambassador Domita to seek solutions for Korea-Japan relations

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The conflict between South Korea and Japan is escalating again following Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's firm stance on the issues of forced labor compensation during Japan's colonial rule and the plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. Adding to this, Koji Domita, the Japanese Ambassador to South Korea, asserted that for Japan to ease export restrictions on South Korea, Seoul must first resolve the issue of South Korea filing a complaint against Japan at the World Trade Organization (WTO), making the outlook for Korea-Japan relations increasingly uncertain.

On the 22nd, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with Ambassador Domita to seek solutions for Korea-Japan relations. Ambassador Domita paid a courtesy visit to Lee at the National Assembly on the morning of the 22nd. This was three days after Takeo Kawamura, secretary-general of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union, visited South Korea for a three-day trip ending on the 19th. During the meeting, various contentious bilateral issues, including forced labor compensation and the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, were reportedly discussed.

At a foreign press briefing the previous day, Lee expressed his willingness to resolve conflicts, stating, "If both countries have sincere intentions, the forced labor issue can be resolved without dragging it out until the Tokyo Olympics next year." Known as a 'Japan expert,' attention is focused on whether Lee can untangle the complicated Korea-Japan relations through his meeting with Ambassador Domita.

Before visiting Lee, Ambassador Domita attended a 'Breakfast Meeting Hosted by the Japanese Ambassador to Korea' held at the Federation of Korean Industries in Yeouido, Seoul, where he stated, "Regarding export restrictions, Japan's position remains unchanged at this time." He added, "Since last year, there have been various dialogues showing progress toward resolving export restrictions, but policy dialogue was suspended after South Korea filed a WTO complaint against Japan this summer. I hope South Korea will create an environment to resolve this issue through dialogue." Japan imposed export restrictions on key items last year in response to South Korea's Supreme Court ruling ordering Japanese companies to compensate Korean forced labor victims. Subsequently, South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy filed a complaint against Japan at the WTO.

Ambassador Domita also predicted that a Korea-Japan summit would take place only after these issues are settled. He emphasized, "Regarding the Korea-Japan summit, a new government has been established in Japan, and building a personal trust relationship between Prime Minister Suga and President Moon Jae-in is a very important task going forward." He continued, "Considering the current situation surrounding Korea-Japan relations, environmental preparations are necessary for the summit to yield good results that lead to improved relations. Japan will strive to create such an environment and asks South Korea to make efforts as well."

The situation is not easy compared to South Korea's willingness to engage in dialogue, as a significant gap in perceptions between the two countries is evident. Nam Gwan-pyo, South Korea's ambassador to Japan, stated at a National Assembly audit the previous day that "the Japanese government is showing a somewhat progressive stance" regarding the forced labor issue since Prime Minister Suga took office.

Nam particularly noted, "A positive atmosphere is forming," and added, "Prime Minister Suga differs from former Prime Minister Abe in some respects." Regarding the decision on discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, he said the Japanese government has not yet made a final decision and "there is still some time."

However, Nam's remarks were overshadowed by Prime Minister Suga's tough statements made around the same time. While visiting Indonesia, Suga warned, "If assets of Japanese companies in South Korea are liquidated to compensate for forced labor during Japan's colonial rule, Korea-Japan relations could face a very serious crisis." On the plan to discharge contaminated water from Fukushima into the ocean, he said, "We cannot delay the disposal decision indefinitely. The government wants to take responsibility and decide on the policy as soon as possible."

The outlook for Korea-Japan relations is likely to become even more uncertain. The South Korean government maintains that it can intervene in judicial decisions related to forced labor compensation, and Lee Nak-yeon clearly stated that it is "difficult to accept" the so-called 'Moon Hee-sang proposal' that Takeo Kawamura recently raised again during his visit. Mentioning the resolution of the forced labor compensation issue as a condition for attending the Korea-China-Japan summit is also generating negative sentiment.

Moreover, Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water from Fukushima has worsened public opinion. The Mainichi Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun reported that the Japanese government is expected to decide on the plan to release contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean at the 'Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Measures Ministerial Meeting' scheduled as early as the 27th. Once decided, procedures such as Tokyo Electric Power Company's design of discharge facilities and safety reviews by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will proceed, with full-scale discharge expected to begin in October 2022. The South Korean government announced it will respond in cooperation with the international community through a task force led by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, while Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong strongly opposed the plan, stating he would file civil and criminal lawsuits against the Japanese government in Korean and Japanese courts and would not hesitate to take the case to the International Court of Justice.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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