Prime Minister Han Deok-su: "It is important to listen carefully"
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo clarified that his remark about "removing a stone" during the Korea-Japan summit following the announcement of a third-party compensation plan for Japanese forced labor victims was not referring to the victims themselves.
On the 4th, during a parliamentary question session on economic affairs, Han responded to a question from Yoon Kwan-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea, who asked, "Yesterday (the 3rd), during the government question session, you said you 'removed a stone.' Shouldn't you express regret for that?"
He explained, "When I said 'stone,' I meant the issue that severely worsened Korea-Japan relations, which we tried to resolve and remove," adding, "How could I possibly call the people of the Republic of Korea stones?" He repeatedly emphasized, "Do not misinterpret my intention."
Democratic Party lawmakers reacted strongly to Han's remarks, saying, "Who interprets it that way?" and "Do not interpret it arbitrarily." In response, Han retorted in a raised voice, "What is important is not speaking clearly, but listening clearly."
Earlier, during the previous day's parliamentary question session on politics, diplomacy, unification, and security, Han had stated, "Not everything can be resolved in a single summit," and "This time (the Korea-Japan summit), we removed the biggest stone," which drew criticism from the Democratic Party.
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