Japan irritated by S. Korea’s disclosure of secret talks

December 28, 2017

Tokyo- The Japanese government has been irritated by Wednesday's unilateral disclosure by a South Korean Foreign Ministry task force of the contents of secret bilateral talks on a dispute over so-called comfort women.

The South Korean task force made the disclosure when it released a report that reviewed the 2015 bilateral agreement designed to resolve the dispute over former comfort women, who were forced to sexually serve Japanese troops before and during World War II.

Tokyo has refrained from publicly criticizing Seoul over the disclosure, apparently in consideration of the need to jointly address North Korea's continued provocations.

The Japanese government is concerned that a deterioration in relations with South Korea will adversely affect Tokyo's North Korea policy focusing on cooperation with Seoul and Washington.

"Considering tensions over the North, Japan and South Korea need to work together closely now. South Korea should be aware of this point," Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japanese deputy chief cabinet secretary, told reporters on Wednesday.

But a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official, who asked not to be named, said that such a unilateral disclosure "will make diplomatic negotiations impossible."

Another official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, raised a question about the review itself. "What do they think of diplomatic promises?"

The Japanese government plans to continue pressing South Korean to implement the comfort women agreement. "We'll keep a close eye on how the South Korean government will respond" to the review report, a senior official said.

Tokyo believes that South Korea would face international criticism if it unilaterally scraps the accord.

Some aides to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he should not accept Seoul's invitation for him to visit South Korea in February to coincide with the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Abe himself will make a decision, considering various issues, including parliamentary schedules, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference on Tuesday. Jiji Press