Korean foundation to make first move to compensate forced labor victims

Foreign Minister Park Jin announces the government's compensation on forced labor victims during the Japanese occupation in Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

A Korean foundation will make the first move to compensate the Korean victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial occupation, as per a plan laid out by the Korean government on Monday regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2018.

The government stressed that the solution it decided on is focused more on improving the relationship between the two countries, which has been strained for more than a decade and further worsened in July 2019 when the Japanese government implemented export restrictions.

The proposed solution is already facing harsh public criticism in Korea as the Japanese companies that were the defendant in the court case — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel — are essentially given a free pass.

“The Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will compensate the amount, including delayed interest, according to the ruling by the Supreme Court in 2018,” Foreign Minister Park Jin said during a press conference Monday.

He added that the foundation will also pay the amount including interest if the plaintiffs win additional forced labor lawsuits.

“The funding will be financed through voluntary contributions by the private sector and through the foundation’s projects,” Park added.

One such company in the private sector is Posco, which benefitted from the 1965 claims settlement agreement made between Korea and Japan.

The foreign minister said the government, through several meetings with the victims’ families, has sought understanding and consent for its solution.

“The government made its decision to find a breakthrough between the frozen relationship between Korea and Japan,” Foreign Minister Park said. “We expect the Japanese government to make a comprehensive apology and voluntary contribution.”

However, the foreign minister stressed that forcing a new apology for the past is not the key to reconciliation.

“More importantly is the Japanese government showing a consistent and faithful execution of self-reflection and its apology officially made in the past,” Park said. “We hope that they would succeed the Kim Dae-jung and Keizo Obuchi joint declaration.”

Park said he has been told that the Japanese private sector, lead by its largest business advocacy group Keidanren, is currently considering making a voluntary contribution to the fund.

“The Japanese government is not opposed to the voluntary contribution from the private sector,” Park said.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]