Park Jin: "Forced Labor Negotiations in Final Stage... Japan Must Make Political Decision"

"Japanese Foreign Minister: There Will Be Another Opportunity to Meet Soon"
"North Korea's Provocations Deepen ROK-US-Japan Security Cooperation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Foreign Minister Park Jin stated that since the Korea-Japan negotiations to find a solution for forced labor compensation have entered the "final stage," a reasonable resolution must be reached, a message he conveyed to the Japanese side.

Minister Park, upon returning on the morning of the 20th after visiting The Hague in the Netherlands and Munich in Germany, met with reporters at Incheon International Airport and said about the Korea-Japan foreign ministers' meeting held during the Munich Security Conference, "We had a very frank and candid discussion."

He added, "This was the fifth meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, so I am well aware of the other party's position," and explained, "During the Munich Security Conference, I could feel firsthand that many countries have a keen interest in improving Korea-Japan relations."

After completing his business trip and returning to Korea, Foreign Minister Park Jin is answering questions from the press at the Arrival Hall of Terminal 1, Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 20th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Regarding whether discussions about a Korea-Japan summit took place during this meeting, he said, "I believe shuttle diplomacy between Korea and Japan needs to be restored for our national interest," but drew a line by stating, "There was no discussion about the summit issue."

Minister Park is expected to meet Foreign Minister Hayashi again soon to conduct additional consultations on the forced labor issue. He said, "The Group of Twenty (G20) foreign ministers' meeting is scheduled to be held in India in early March," and added, "If the foreign ministers of Korea and Japan attend, there will naturally be another opportunity to meet."

Earlier, after meeting with Foreign Minister Hayashi in Munich on the 18th (local time), Minister Park said, "We discussed everything we could," and "I urged the Japanese side to make a political decision for a sincere response." It is known that both sides reviewed the results of the director-general and vice minister-level talks held so far and exchanged positions on the remaining issues.

The government is promoting a solution where the domestic organization, the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization under Japanese Imperialism (hereafter the Foundation), uses funds it has raised to pay the compensation awarded by the Supreme Court in 2018 to the victims, instead of the Japanese defendant companies. However, it emphasizes that Japan's responsive measures, such as contributing to the compensation funds and issuing an apology, are absolutely necessary in this process.

Meanwhile, regarding North Korea's launch of a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) claimed to be a "super-large multiple rocket launcher" following the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch on the 18th, Minister Park emphasized, "The more provocations North Korea makes, the more it isolates itself and inevitably faces condemnation from the international community," adding, "The joint defense capabilities of Korea and the United States will be further strengthened, and security cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan will deepen."