“Once the outlays have been completed by the Japanese government, Japan’s responsibility according to the Japan-South Korea agreement will have been fulfilled”, he also said. Kishida told him that Japan’s contribution was in line with a promise under a bilateral agreement reached last December.
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Japan apologised in 1993 and set up a compensation fund that was rejected by some victims because it was financed with private donations instead of public money. Kishida said the government will work out the process to release the funds “as soon as possible”. “For our part, we understand the money will be used for medical expenses and care for the elderly”.
South Koreans have sought to draw more attention to the suffering of the women, only a few dozen of whom survive in the nation, erecting statues honoring them in the US, Australia, as well as one outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Tokyo’s previous attitude suggested it saw the relocation as a condition for payment of the contribution, citing the December 28 agreement’s terms about Seoul “working toward a suitable resolution on the statue in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul through discussions with related groups”.
Speaking to reporters on August 12, Kishida said the foundation “will be researching the needs of the comfort women [survivors] and their family members, and the Japanese and South Korean governments will be outlaying funds within the scope of the agreed-upon uses”, NHK reported.
Officials from Japan and South Korea have been locked in deep discussions to finalize exactly what the foundation intends to accomplish.
Japan maintains that all compensation claims were “settled completely and finally” under an agreement attached to the 1965 treaty that established diplomatic ties between Japan and South Korea.
Japan is to provide funds to the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation, founded in Seoul. “There is absolutely no change in our position the compensation issue has been settled legally”. The foundation’s measures will be applied to a total of 245 former comfort women and bereaved family members registered with the South Korean government.
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South Korea’s parliament ratifies the normalization agreement signed between Seoul and Tokyo.
