Seoul wants compensation first and preserves it later, Asahi reports

Tokyo has rejected Seoul’s proposal that Japanese businesses responsible for compensating victims of forced labor during World War II address the compensation issue first and the South Korean government pays back the whole amount of compensation later, according to the Asahi Shimbun on Saturday. 　

South Korean and Japanese government officials were quoted by the Asahi Shimbun saying, “Seoul made an unofficial proposal to Tokyo to preserve compensations after Japanese companies pay them to victims first. However, the Japanese government did not answer to the offer based on the fundamental assertion that the compensation issue was already resolved by the signing of the 1965 Korea-Japan treaty, reported the newspaper.

It has been known among diplomatic officials that Tokyo last year referred to the option as a possible scenario that Seoul may handle the preservation of compensation amounts later if it is inevitable to liquidate Japanese companies’ assets that are seized in South Korea. Back then, Tokyo reportedly said that liquidation happens no matter what, which will make it hard to soothe public objection.


Gi-Jae Han record@donga.com