Jin Park on Vietnam War Verdict: "We Will Respond as a Country Respecting Universal Values and Human Rights"

Park Jin "Forced Labor Issue, Japan Must Respect Victims' Opinions Based on Correct Historical Awareness"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Foreign Minister Park Jin recently stated regarding the South Korean court's ruling that the Korean government must compensate for damages caused by the massacre of civilians by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War, “As a country that respects universal values and human rights, we will respond wisely.”

Earlier, on the 7th, the Seoul Central District Court delivered a first-instance judgment that the Korean government must compensate for damages caused by the massacre of civilians by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War. This is the first ruling recognizing our government's compensation responsibility for the massacre of Vietnamese civilians.

In a report to the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the same day, Minister Park explained in response to a related question from Lee Sang-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, “When we established diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1992, as a principle at that time, we regarded the unfortunate past as something that had passed and took a stance to look toward the future. Therefore, the Korea-Vietnam relationship has achieved unprecedented development over the past 30 years.”

Foreign Minister Park Jin is responding to questions from lawmakers at the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 15th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

He continued, “Going forward, to ensure that bilateral relations develop more future-orientedly, we will closely communicate on these issues and work to smoothly advance the bilateral relationship.”

Regarding the highly sensitive issue of compensation for victims of forced labor by Japan, he said, “I believe Japan should address this with a correct understanding of history and fully respect the opinions of the victims.”

Minister Park stated that urging Japan for sincere responses and listening to the victims' opinions is the basic stance of our government, adding, “Only then can a reasonable solution based on mutual interests be prepared.” He also said, “It is necessary to communicate directly with the victims to accurately hear their opinions and seek solutions accordingly.”

Minister Park will attend the Munich Security Conference held in Germany from the 17th to the 19th, where a face-to-face meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa is expected. Discussions on solutions for compensation for forced labor victims are likely to be intensively addressed there, but it is reported that both sides still have differing perceptions regarding Japan’s apology and participation in funds, which the Korean government demands as a 'sincere response.'

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