daily economic news
2023-03-16 13:09:02
Edited by Sun Zhicheng, Huang Sheng and Gai Yuanyuan
According to World Wide Web, citing news from Yonhap News Agency on the 16th, South Korean President Yin Xiyue is leaving for Japan and will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Yonhap News Agency stated that Yin Xiyue’s trip marked a significant escalation in the relationship between the two countries that has continued to be tense after a dispute over forced labor compensation.
Yonhap News Agency said the two-day visit was the first bilateral visit by a South Korean president to Japan in 12 years, highlighting the long-term tension between the two countries due to historical disputes. Lianhe Zaobao also stated that this is the first time in 12 years that a South Korean president has paid a special visit to Japan, resuming the 12-year hiatus of bilateral visits by heads of state.
According to the latest report from the Japan Broadcasting Association on the 16th, South Korean President Yin Xiyue has arrived at Tokyo Haneda Airport and will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later.
Image source: Visual China-VCG111395759381
South Korea unveils compensation package for forced labor victims Being denounced as “humiliating diplomacy”
According to CCTV news, on March 6 local time, the South Korean government announced a solution to the problem of compensation for victims of forced labor in Japan during World War II.Decided that a consortium under the Korean Ministry of Public Administration and Security will raise funds to pay compensation on behalf of the Japanese company accused in the injured labor claim case. Once this plan was released, it was criticized and opposed by Korean domestic public opinion.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin stated that in order to support the victims of forced labor and their families, the “Japanese Compulsory Mobilization Victims Support Foundation” will pay for the compensation paid by Japanese companies in the South Korean Supreme Court in 2018 for three labor claim cases gold and overdue interest.
CCTV news screenshot
It is understood that the object of the consortium’s compensation payment is the 15 plaintiffs who won the three lawsuits judged by the South Korean Supreme Court in 2018. The amount paid, including compensation and overdue interest, is about 4 billion won (about 21.4 million yuan). ). About 16 South Korean companies, including POSCO, will carry out fundraising work and replace Japanese companies to compensate.
South Korea’s POSCO announced on March 15 that it had donated 4 billion won (approximately RMB 21.2 million) to the “Japanese Imperialist Forced Mobilization Victims Support Foundation” established by the South Korean Ministry of Administration and Security.
According to a Japanese Asahi TV report on the 13th, the representatives of the three surviving plaintiffs expressed their views on the case of forced labor from South Korea during World War II.Reject the third-party replacement compensation plan announced by the South Korean government on the 6th of this month。
CCTV news screenshot
South Korea’s largest opposition party, the Common Democratic Party, called the South Korean government’s plan “surrender diplomacy.”, saying “this is a day of shame”. The Democratic Party of Korea denounced that the third-party compensation plan is an absolution for Japan’s historical responsibility. This kind of agreement is not for the sake of the victims, let alone accountability for companies that forced labor in Japan. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said that this plan is a “secondary harm” to the victims of forced labor, an “atrocity that runs counter to the judgment of the Supreme Court”, and it is “a disgrace and stain in the history of South Korea’s diplomacy.”
According to a public opinion survey in South Korea, 59% of the Korean people expressed opposition to the third-party compensation plan. On the afternoon of the 11th local time, representatives of several Korean civic groups gathered on the road in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Plaza to protest against the third-party replacement compensation plan for victims of Japanese forced labor cases during World War II announced by the South Korean government on the 6th of this month.
The protesters held signs and chanted slogans, calling on the South Korean government to withdraw the relevant plan, calling the South Korean government’s plan “anti-history, anti-peace.”
CCTV news screenshot
bidenKishida Fumio responded
In response to the decision announced by the Yoon Seok-yue administration on the 6th, US PresidentbidenIssued a statement at the first time, praising the relationship between South Korea and Japan for “opening a breakthrough new chapter.” According to the latest news from Agence France-Presse on the 6th, US Secretary of State Blinken expressed his “appreciation” for this “historic” plan.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed his appreciation for South Korea’s move, calling South Korea and Japan “important allies of the United States,” and reemphasizing the importance of the U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral relationship to the U.S. “Indo-Pacific strategy.”
America presidentbiden Image source: Visual China
According to the White House website,bidenSaid in the statement, “Today, the (plan) announced between South Korea and Japan marks a breakthrough new chapter in the cooperation and partnership between the two closest allies of the United States.” Further strengthen the trilateral relationship between the United States, Japan and South Korea.
On the other hand, the Japanese government has a positive attitude towards the above-mentioned plan proposed by the South Korean side. According to Japan’s Asahi TV, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on the same day, “This measure aims to restore Japan-South Korea relations to a healthy state, and the Japanese government appreciates it.” Kishida also added that “South Korea is an important neighbor and should cooperate in dealing with various international issues” and “it is necessary to further strengthen strategic cooperation between Japan and South Korea, Japan, the United States and South Korea.”
In addition, TV Asahi mentioned that Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng declared in response to this matter, “The Japanese government confirmed that it will continue to inherit the position of the previous cabinets on historical understanding including the 1998 Japan-Korea Joint Declaration.” According to Japanese media reports, the 1998 Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration was issued by the then Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Kobuchi and the then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, which included Japan’s “deep reflection and sincere apology” for its past colonial rule.
Why has South Korea recently taken the initiative to ease relations with Japan?
On March 6, under the voluntary concession of the South Korean Yoon Seok-yue government, a preliminary settlement was reached on the compensation issue of Japanese companies forcibly recruiting Korean laborers during World War II.
Just a few days ago, at the commemorative ceremony of the “104th Anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement” in South Korea, according to Chinanews.com, Yin Xiyue also took the initiative to call Japan a “cooperative partner”, hoping that the two countries would abandon their historical grievances and become “shared and universal”. Value Partner”.
Yin Xiyue Vision China-VCG111336869457
Japan and South Korea are beginning to show signs of easing amid a three-year trade dispute and diplomatic tensions. The South Korean President’s Office notified on March 9 local time that South Korean President Yin Xiyue will visit Japan from March 16 to 17.
On March 8 local time, the Office of the President of South Korea and the White House announced at the same time that Yoon Suk-yue and the President of the United StatesbidenTalks will be held in Washington on April 26, and Yin Xiyue will also attend the White House state banquet on the same day.
Why has South Korea recently taken the initiative to ease relations with Japan and strengthen ties with the United States?In response to this problem, Dr. Li Chengri of the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences analyzed to the reporter of “Daily Economic News”, “Yin Xiyue is trying to improve the relationship between South Korea and Japan,North KoreaOn the issue, it has won the support of the United States and Japan, especially before the visit to the United States in April to meet the United States’ request to improve relations between South Korea and Japan, and to try to obtain greater support from the United States, especially on the issue of the ‘nuclear umbrella’. ”
Lee Sung-il believes that South Korea-Japan diplomacy has warmed up, and the United States’ approval is mainly due to its own strategic considerations. He said that South Korea and Japan are important allies of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and are also major helpers of the Indo-Pacific strategy. The improvement of South Korea-Japan relations is not only conducive to the progress of US-led security cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea, but also helps to promote the Indo-Pacific economic framework.
Background: The “forced labor” issue between Japan and South Korea
According to previous media reports, in 1997, two victims of Korean forced labor by Japan filed a lawsuit for damages in the Japanese District Court, demanding compensation for losses from Nippon Steel Corporation. The Japanese Supreme Court ruled against the plaintiffs in 2003.
CCTV news screenshot
In 2005, four victims, including the two plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit before, filed a damages lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court, demanding compensation for losses from Nippon Steel. In 2008, the Seoul Central District Court recognized that the Japanese judgment was valid in South Korea and ruled against the plaintiff. However, the South Korean Grand Court (Supreme Court) ruled that the Japanese judgment was unconstitutional in 2012 and remanded the case for retrial.
In 2018, the South Korean Grand Court determined that the four plaintiffs won the case and ruled that Nippon Steel should pay each victim 100 million won (about 530,000 yuan). The South Korean Supreme Court also ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to compensate the victims in the same year.
On this case, there have been many frictions between Japan and South Korea. Following the plaintiff’s application, the South Korean court issued an order to the defendant, Nippon Steel, to seize its assets in South Korea, which came into effect in 2020, triggering protests from the Japanese government. The Japanese government has repeatedly expressed “regret” over the Korean Academy’s decision as “unacceptable”.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yue has repeatedly stated that he will promote the improvement of South Korea-Japan relations after taking office in May last year.
At the 104th anniversary of the “March 1 Movement” in South Korea on March 1 this year, Yin Xiyue also said, “In the past century of the ‘March 1 Movement’, Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor in the past to one that shares universal values with us and plays an important role in economic security. and partners on global issues”.
edit|Sun Zhicheng Huang Sheng Gai Yuanyuan
proofreading|Cheng Peng
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