The pillar of the 2015 agreement in which Japan and South Korea confirmed that the issue of so-called comfort women "is resolved finally and irreversibly" has been undermined. The step taken by South Korea, which is far removed from the common sense of the international community, is totally unacceptable.
The South Korean government announced that it will dissolve the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation, which was set up on the basis of the bilateral accord and has implemented support programs for former comfort women. The South Korean government said it has decided to dissolve the foundation after considering diverse opinions regarding the foundation based on victim-centric principles.
The Japanese government has donated 1 billion yen to the foundation out of state coffers.
Of the 47 former comfort women who were alive when the accord was reached, 34 survivors received about 10 million yen each as support money from the foundation. Before the accord was concluded, former comfort women were also consulted. It does not make sense to dissolve the foundation based on "victim-centric principles."
The South Korean government said it will come up with reasonable measures to handle the remaining funds by considering the opinions of former comfort women and related groups.
Japan contributed the 1 billion yen out of the government's budget, in response to a strong request made by the South Korean side. This state of affairs cannot be overlooked: Japan's measures taken on the basis of the accord will be in limbo.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe harshly criticized Seoul's move, saying, "If international promises are not observed, forging ties between countries becomes impossible." He also said, "We hope that South Korea, as a member of the international community, will act responsibly." It is quite reasonable for Abe to call on South Korea to implement the accord steadily.
Moon must realize duty
The heart of the matter is that the administration of South Korean President Moon Jae In has taken the standpoint that the accord has not sufficiently reflected the opinions of former comfort women and that the comfort women issue will not be resolved with the accord.
Neither has there been any progress regarding the statue of a girl symbolizing comfort women that a civic group put up in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Despite the fact that the bilateral accord has stated South Korea would make efforts to resolve the issue, the Moon administration has so far failed to strive to remove it.
It is obvious that the Moon administration, while prioritizing revoking the accord concluded by the former Park Geun-hye administration, goes along with the views of civic groups, his support base. Hasn't he taken into account that reversing the state-to-state accord would have a seriously adverse impact on Japan-South Korea relations?
South Korea's Supreme Court at the end of last month ordered a Japanese company to pay damages to former requisitioned South Korean workers. The Moon administration has also not taken measures to get under control a state of affairs that undermines the very foundations that normalized diplomatic ties between Japan and South Korea.
When Abe and Moon took part in an international conference held earlier this month, they did not hold summit talks. This can be said to symbolize the deterioration in the bilateral relations.
Japan and South Korea need to maintain their close communication and cooperation regarding such problems as North Korea's nuclear issue. Moon must realize his own heavy responsibility.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 22, 2018)
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