Suga, Japanese Prime Minister, First Parliamentary Speech... "Korean Government Responsible for Forced Labor Issue"

"South Korea is a Very Important Neighbor"... Emphasizes "The Forced Labor Issue Was Settled by the Korea-Japan Claims Agreement"
"Will Meet Kim Jong-un Directly Without Conditions"

▲Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister of Japan [Image source=Reuters News Agency]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga repeatedly emphasized South Korea's responsibility regarding compensation for forced labor victims during Japan's colonial rule.

In a policy speech at the extraordinary Diet session that opened on the 26th, Prime Minister Suga said, "South Korea is a very important neighboring country," but added, "To return to a healthy Japan-Korea relationship, we will strongly demand appropriate responses in line with Japan's consistent position."

The policy speech is delivered by the Japanese Prime Minister at the plenary session when the extraordinary Diet begins, outlining the basic stance on current national issues. This was Prime Minister Suga's first policy speech since taking office on the 16th of last month.

The position expressed by Prime Minister Suga this time follows the diplomatic line of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, reiterating the Japanese government's long-standing claim that the South Korean government must take responsibility and present a solution regarding the compensation issue for forced labor victims, the biggest issue between Japan and South Korea.

Kyodo News analyzed that Prime Minister Suga urged the South Korean side to resolve the issue.

Having served for a long time as Chief Cabinet Secretary, the government spokesperson under the Abe administration, Suga has argued that the South Korean Supreme Court's final ruling in October 2018 ordering compensation to forced labor victims in lawsuits against Nippon Steel (formerly Shin Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal) violates the 1965 Japan-Korea Claims Agreement, and that the South Korean government should propose a solution.

In response, the plaintiffs in this lawsuit, after Nippon Steel refused to comply with the ruling following the Japanese government's policy, have applied to the court to seize shares of PNR Co., an unlisted Korean corporation affiliated with Nippon Steel and POSCO, to secure compensation claims and are proceeding with the process of converting them into cash.

Regarding this, Prime Minister Suga warned at a press conference held during his visit to Indonesia on the 21st, "If the seized assets are liquidated and Japanese companies suffer actual damage, it will cause a very serious situation in Japan-Korea relations."

Also, in his speech on this day, Prime Minister Suga said that the issue of Japanese abductees by North Korea "remains the most important task of the administration," and pledged, "We will do our utmost to ensure that all abductees can return home as soon as possible."

He continued, "I am determined to meet directly with Chairman Kim Jong-un without conditions," and reiterated, "Based on the 2002 Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration, we aim to comprehensively resolve issues such as abductions, nuclear weapons, and missiles, to clear the unfortunate past and normalize diplomatic relations with North Korea."

This again reflects the intention to follow the Abe administration's line on North Korea issues.

Former Prime Minister Abe maintained the view that without resolving the issue of Japanese abductees by North Korea, it would be difficult to improve Japan-North Korea relations, including normalization of diplomatic ties. Since May last year, he has proposed unconditional Japan-North Korea summit talks, and through the policy speech at the extraordinary Diet session in October last year, he presented this as a solution to the abduction issue.

However, North Korea maintains that the abduction issue has been fully resolved.

In his speech, Prime Minister Suga once again emphasized that the cornerstone of Japan's diplomacy and security is the Japan-US alliance.

Prime Minister Suga stated, "The Japan-US alliance is the foundation of peace, prosperity, and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region and the international community," and added, "We will maintain deterrence based on the Japan-US alliance."

He also added that Japan aims to realize a "free and open Indo-Pacific" under the rule of law by cooperating with countries sharing fundamental values such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, India, and Europe.

Regarding China, he said, "A stable relationship is very important not only for both countries but also for the region and the international community," and added, "We will make our points clear using opportunities for high-level contacts while cooperating on common challenges."

On the issue of sovereignty over the four Kuril Islands (called the Northern Territories in Japan) with Russia, he stated, "We must put an end to this without passing it on to the next generation," and said, "Through frank exchanges of opinions between leaders, we aim to develop overall Japan-Russia relations, including the conclusion of a peace treaty."

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