S. Korea-Japan ties waver, after Seoul court's ruling over Japan's Mitsubishi
- 5 years ago
Bilateral ties between South Korea and Japan is now at crossroads,... after Seoul's Supreme Court ruled against Japan's Mitsubishi... for the forced labor of South Koreans during the second World War.
Cha Sang-mi reports.
A diplomatic spat looms over South Korea and Japan, after Seoul's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries... to compensate South Korean slave laborers from the Japanese colonial era.
"I went to Japan because I was told I can study there. But once I arrived, study was nowhere to be found; I was sent to work at a factory right away."
Some 30 young South Koreans were taken to Japan under false pretenses, only to find themselves working in a military factory.
Despite the court victory,... some say this is just the beginning of a longer quest for justice,... as there are thousands of other wartime victims who are still seeking closure.
Professer Joseph Yi says there is a divide in what the Seoul government and the South Korean public wants.
Many South Koreans still feel that Japan can never be vindicated,... while the government is looking to improve relations,... given the two country's intricate economic ties.
"Many economic experts including those and the South Korean government are very concerned about how anti-Japanese sentiment and breaking such treaties with Japan, not just 1965, but also the recent 2015 comfort women agreement between Korea and Japan that no agreement that finds with Korea will be accepted in the future because of its anti-Japanese sentiment."
Professor Sachio Nakato says while Japan is generally against the recent ruling against Mitsubishi,... there is still some room for common understanding.
“In Japan, from right to the left, mainstream media and the mainstream scholars and even the government think that Korea’s response is considered as very much negatively in Japan. There’s no question about that. At the same time, even though there are small voices (cut) There must be something that Japan has to think about - it’s not an issue about international law, it’s more like an issue of human rights.”
Experts agree however,... that both goverments cannot continue to butt heads over their fraght history,... and that a compromise needs be sought out... regarding a wide range of diplomatic issues, including the victims seeking redress.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.
Cha Sang-mi reports.
A diplomatic spat looms over South Korea and Japan, after Seoul's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries... to compensate South Korean slave laborers from the Japanese colonial era.
"I went to Japan because I was told I can study there. But once I arrived, study was nowhere to be found; I was sent to work at a factory right away."
Some 30 young South Koreans were taken to Japan under false pretenses, only to find themselves working in a military factory.
Despite the court victory,... some say this is just the beginning of a longer quest for justice,... as there are thousands of other wartime victims who are still seeking closure.
Professer Joseph Yi says there is a divide in what the Seoul government and the South Korean public wants.
Many South Koreans still feel that Japan can never be vindicated,... while the government is looking to improve relations,... given the two country's intricate economic ties.
"Many economic experts including those and the South Korean government are very concerned about how anti-Japanese sentiment and breaking such treaties with Japan, not just 1965, but also the recent 2015 comfort women agreement between Korea and Japan that no agreement that finds with Korea will be accepted in the future because of its anti-Japanese sentiment."
Professor Sachio Nakato says while Japan is generally against the recent ruling against Mitsubishi,... there is still some room for common understanding.
“In Japan, from right to the left, mainstream media and the mainstream scholars and even the government think that Korea’s response is considered as very much negatively in Japan. There’s no question about that. At the same time, even though there are small voices (cut) There must be something that Japan has to think about - it’s not an issue about international law, it’s more like an issue of human rights.”
Experts agree however,... that both goverments cannot continue to butt heads over their fraght history,... and that a compromise needs be sought out... regarding a wide range of diplomatic issues, including the victims seeking redress.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.