Korea-Japan Foreign Directors Consult in Tokyo to "Explore Compensation Measures for Forced Labor"

Seo Min-jung, Director of Asia-Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visits Tokyo for Introductory Meeting and Consultations
Focused Discussion on Forced Labor Compensation Issue

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] On the 24th, the foreign ministries of Korea and Japan held a director-general level meeting in Tokyo, Japan, to discuss solutions for the compensation issue of forced laborers during the Japanese colonial period.

Seo Min-jeong, the newly appointed Director-General of the Asia-Pacific Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the afternoon to meet and hold talks with Takehiro Funakoshi, Director-General of the Asia and Oceania Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The director-general level talks between the two countries' foreign ministries were held for the first time in about 40 days since last month on the 11th.

Seo, who became the first woman to assume the position of Director-General in charge of Japan-related affairs at the regional bureau on the 21st of this month, visited Japan just three days after her appointment.

Since both countries confirmed their willingness to improve relations through summit meetings and vice foreign ministerial talks starting last month, the director-general level meeting focused intensively on the compensation issue for forced labor, which is considered a major pending issue.

Earlier, on the 13th, President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a Korea-Japan summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, agreeing to continue consultations for the prompt resolution of the forced labor issue.

Regarding this, Cho Hyun-dong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated, “We are not yet conducting consultations between Korea and Japan focusing on a specific solution,” and added, “We are continuously striving to find a reasonable resolution.”