Kono Urges Steady Implementation of Comfort Women Accord

December 20, 2017

Tokyo- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, at a meeting on Tuesday with his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, stressed the importance for their countries to implement steadily the 2015 accord on resolving the issue of so-called comfort women finally and irreversibly.

Kang did not go any further than explaining about progress in the South Korean government's ongoing review of the negotiation process of the agreement with Japan over the women, who were forced into prostitution for Japanese troops before and during World War II.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said a majority of people in his country cannot emotionally accept the accord. His government aims to announce the review results as early as Dec. 27.

At their three-hour meeting in Tokyo, Kono and Kang agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea over its provocative acts and work together to boost future-oriented relations between Japan and South Korea.

The two ministers reaffirmed that their countries will work closely, including under a three-way framework also involving the United States, and continue to put pressure on North Korea, which is moving forward with its nuclear and missile development programs.

They agreed on the need to urge China to play a greater role on the issues of North Korea.

Kono called on Kang to help arrange a trilateral summit among Japan, China and South Korea at an early date in order to increase pressure on North Korea.

A senior official of South Korea's presidential office has said that the government will consider a visit by Moon to Japan even if the three-way leaders' meeting is postponed. The Japanese government gave up its plan to host the regional summit this year.

But Kono told reporters after the meeting with Kang that a visit by Moon to Japan was not discussed during Tuesday's meeting.

Kang invited Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to visit South Korea on the occasion of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February 2018.

Kono only said the Japanese government will consider the invitation while looking at a range of factors, including parliamentary schedules.

Kang expressed dissatisfaction with the Japanese government's attitude toward the issue of people from the Korean Peninsula who were requisitioned by Japan to work at factories in Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, and other locations during wartime.

She specifically took up a Japanese plan to establish a facility to explain the requisition issue in Tokyo, far from the former factory sites. Kono asked Kang to respect Japanese efforts on the issue.

After the meeting with Kono, Kang paid a courtesy call on Abe at the prime minister's office.

"I hope we will work together to open the way to the future, although there are various problems (between the two countries)," Abe said. "Japan and South Korea need to work closely for the sake of peace and stability in the region."

A visit by Kang to Japan is the first since she assumed the post in June. It is the first time that a South Korean foreign minister has visited Japan since Yun Byung-se did so in August 2016. Jiji Press