Park Jin, Focus on Efforts to Improve Korea-Japan Relations

Foreign Minister Park Jin Holds Ongoing Talks with Senior Japanese Diplomats
Attempts Dialogue and Communication with Forced Labor Victims

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Foreign Minister Park Jin's efforts to improve Korea-Japan relations are drawing attention.

Minister Park is continuing consultations with senior Japanese diplomatic officials, including directly meeting with victims of forced labor and their families.

Foreign Minister Park Jin is departing for Japan through the international terminal of Gimpo Airport on the 18th. Minister Park is scheduled to hold the first Korea-Japan foreign ministers' meeting since the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo. /Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

According to diplomatic circles on the 4th, Minister Park stated in a video congratulatory message at the '10th Korea-Japan Future Dialogue Forum' hosted by the East Asia Institute and Japan's 'Gennon NPO' the previous day, "As a result of sincere dialogue and communication, a turning point for improving Korea-Japan relations is being established."

Minister Park said this while noting that he had met four times with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa on that day and continued serious consultations.

He added, "We will continue to strengthen communication in various ways and restore mutual trust to promptly find solutions to current issues."

The current issues refer to the heightened conflict between the two countries after Japanese wartime companies refused to comply with the South Korean Supreme Court's forced labor compensation ruling.

In this regard, the government is working on solutions through communication with the Japanese government and victims.

Minister Park referred to a joint report by the two institutions stating that mutual favorability between the peoples of Korea and Japan has recovered to the level before the 2019 boycott of Japanese products, emphasizing especially that the younger generations of both countries show great interest in each other's popular culture.

Foreign Minister Hayashi also said in his subsequent video congratulatory message, "Korea is an important neighboring country, and considering the current strategic environment, there has never been a time when progress in Korea-Japan and Korea-US-Japan cooperation was more important than now," adding, "We intend to continue close communication with the Korean side based on Japan's consistent position to restore Korea-Japan relations to a healthy state."

Earlier the previous day, Minister Park visited Gwangju and met with victims of forced labor under Japanese rule. It was the first time in four years since the victims faced the Foreign Minister after the Supreme Court's compensation ruling against Japanese companies in October 2018.

Minister Park stated, "We will resolve the issue through diplomatic negotiations with Japan in a way that our people can accept."

Mr. Lee Chun-sik, a forced labor victim from Nippon Steel living in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, conveyed to Minister Park the numerous sufferings he endured at the Kamaishi Steelworks of Nippon Steel and repeatedly requested, "Please take personal care of this matter."

Mr. Lee also showed Minister Park a copy of media reports on the 2018 Supreme Court compensation lawsuit victory against the forced labor companies.

Minister Park comforted him, saying, "Hearing your story directly strengthens my sense of responsibility and mission," and, wishing to offer holiday greetings on behalf of his deceased parents during Chuseok, he performed a deep bow to Mr. Lee.

Afterward, Minister Park visited the home of Ms. Yang Geum-deok, a forced labor victim of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and received a handwritten letter from her.

After meeting the two victims, Minister Park told reporters, "I listened carefully to every word they said without leaving anything out, vividly hearing about the situation at the time and their current feelings," emphasizing, "Based on meeting the victims directly today, I will work with sincerity and urgency to resolve the forced labor issue as soon as possible."

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