Kono urges S. Korea to honor promises to Japan

January 28, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono pressed South Korea on Monday to observe its agreements with Japan on issues related to Korean wartime labor and "comfort women."

"I strongly urge (South Korea) to honor its international commitments," Kono said in a foreign policy speech at plenary meetings of both chambers of parliament.

The South Korean Supreme Court ordered Japanese companies last year to pay compensation to South Korean plaintiffs who claimed to have been forced to work for the firms during World War II.

The Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule at the time. The Japanese government's position is that the wartime labor compensation issue was resolved by a 1965 bilateral agreement.

The South Korean government announced in November last year a decision to dissolve a foundation established under a 2015 bilateral agreement to support former comfort women, who were forced to serve as prostitutes for Japanese troops before and during the war.

In the speech, Kono listed India, Australia and the European Union among the countries and regions that share strategic interests with Japan, but the list did not include South Korea.

On talks with Russia on concluding a World War II peace treaty, Kono stressed, "I will work on the issue with patience as chief negotiator."

In his foreign policy speech last year, Kono said that Japan aims to conclude a peace treaty with Russia after resolving the sovereignty issue over four Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands at the center of the two countries' territorial dispute.

This year, Kono only said Japan wants to sign a peace treaty after solving the territorial dispute. The islands were seized from Japan by Soviet troops in the closing days of the war.

As for North Korea issues, Kono said that "Japan will aim to maintain the solidarity of the international community" to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and missiles in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

"Japan will continue efforts for resolving the issue of abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea at an early date," he said.

Kono said Japan intends to strengthen its relationship of trust with China through mutual visits by high-level officials, including their leaders.

Still, he said, "Japan will never tolerate unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea," adding that Tokyo will take resolute action calmly.

Also in his speech, Kono highlighted the policy of strengthening Japan's relationship with the United States and enhancing the deterrent power and management abilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

On his focus area for diplomacy, Kono said Japan is now regarded as a key player in the Middle East and will aim to fulfill further roles for peace and stability in the region.