From the Launch of the Forced Mobilization Solution 'Public-Private Council' to the Emergence of Futility Arguments

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The public-private consultative council established to seek solutions for compensation for victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period, the biggest issue in Korea-Japan relations, has been facing difficulties since its inception.

The government hopes to prioritize preparing compensation measures without the precondition of an "apology from the Japanese government or companies," but the victims' side insists on direct negotiations along with such preconditions, rendering the purpose of the public-private consultative council meaningless.

According to diplomatic sources on the 6th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to hold one or two more meetings of the public-private consultative council related to forced labor victims within this month and present a government proposal containing specific measures to resolve issues such as victim compensation and the liquidation of Japanese companies' domestic assets.

The government proposals include the "subrogation payment" plan, where the Korean government pays compensation on behalf of Japanese companies and later claims from the Japanese side; the "1+1 plan," which provides consolation money to victims from a fund voluntarily established by companies from both Korea and Japan; and the so-called "Moon Hee-sang plan (1+1+α)," where not only companies from both countries but also the public participate in the fund formation.

However, the victims' side maintains the position that an apology from the Japanese defendant companies should precede any such government proposals.

Along with this, since negotiations with Japanese war crime companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have not taken place for over three years, the victims insist that victims and Japanese companies should meet and discuss. They also hold a lukewarm stance toward the three government proposals.

The legal representative of the victims stated, "It is essential to obtain the consent of not only both Korea and Japan but also the victims themselves," adding, "The launch of the public-private consultative council may be nothing more than a procedure to gain justification such as 'confirmation of the victims' intentions' for an already decided plan, which inevitably invites suspicion and criticism."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to focus on strengthening communication with the victims for the time being. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "(We) intend to listen to the victims' opinions and prepare a government proposal, so we are not basically setting specific deadlines or solutions related to the operation," adding, "It will proceed in earnest at the next meeting."

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