SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a speech Saturday that "the door is open for discussions" with Tokyo over litigation against Japanese companies by former wartime requisitioned workers, the largest concern of the bilateral relationship. The speech was made on the occasion of a Liberation Day ceremony in Seoul marking the end of Japanese rule. Moon said, "The South Korean government is ready to face the Japanese government at any time."
A South Korean court is in the process of selling the assets of Nippon Steel Corp. -- formerly Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. -- which lost the lawsuit. Moon's remarks indicate his intention to seek a solution through negotiations between the governments before the sale order harms the Japanese company.
However, regarding the 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling that ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation, Moon said the ruling "has the highest legal authority and enforcement power."
This statement is believed to be a way of urging Japan to make concessions in the negotiations by stressing that Seoul's basic stance of respecting judicial rulings remains unchanged.
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