Japanese Media: "Suga Requests President Moon to Prevent Sale of Nippon Steel Assets"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reportedly requested South Korea to block the sale of Nippon Steel's assets in Korea in relation to the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling on compensation for forced labor during the Japanese colonial period, according to Sankei Shimbun on the 24th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

After the phone call with President Moon Jae-in, Prime Minister Suga told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office, "Based on our consistent position on various issues, we want to strongly demand appropriate responses from South Korea."

Yomiuri Shimbun also reported that during the phone call, Prime Minister Suga told President Moon, "We must not leave the bilateral relationship in this very difficult situation as it is," urging the restoration of sound Japan-South Korea relations. Nikkei Shimbun similarly reported that Prime Minister Suga requested President Moon to create an opportunity to restore sound Japan-South Korea relations concerning the issue of Korean forced laborers during the Japanese colonial period.

Japanese media generally reported that Prime Minister Suga demanded the South Korean government to create a kind of opportunity to normalize Japan-South Korea relations.

Until now, the Japanese government has argued that the South Korean Supreme Court's October 2018 ruling on compensation for forced labor during the Japanese colonial period violates the Japan-Korea Claims Agreement. The Japanese government has demanded correction, claiming that the South Korean government violated international law.