The leaders of South Korea and Japan yesterday resumed formal talks after a three-year freeze and agreed to try to resolve the decades-old issue of Korean “comfort women” in Japanese military-run brothels during World War II. “I hope today’s summit will heal the bitter history in a broad sense… and be an important opportunity to develop the two countries’ relationship”, South Korean President Park Geun-hye said.
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South Korea, as well as China, says that Japan has failed to properly atone for WWII aggression that saw the sexual slavery of hundreds of thousands of women from their countries and other Asian nations. “She emphasized the need for an expedited resolution that is acceptable to the victims and convincing to our citizens”.
On the surface, the gathering of the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan in Seoul seemed to have achieved their primary goal – restoring the three-way cooperation that had stalled dues to historical territorial disputes for more than three years.
Several diplomatic meetings were held in Seoul on Monday (Nov 2) to help South Korea improve relations with Japan and defend itself from North Korea’s provocations.
Local estimates place the number of sex slaves forced into service by Imperial Japan at more than 200,000.
Abe has in the past been critical of China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea, through which much of Japan and South Korea’s trade and energy supplies pass.
The hour-and-a-half meeting is a sign that both sides have concluded that they are investing too much attention in the issue at the expense of other more pressing problems. The proposal was met with interest from Abe, who said he was “watching closely to see South Korea’s position on participating”, the Blue House reported.
Mr Abe, who is in Seoul for the meeting, told reporters the two countries “should not leave behind difficulties for future generations” in building a co-operative relationship. Given that this summit hadn’t been held in three years, though, even getting Abe, Li, and Park in the same room together was an accomplishment.
“While the talks lasted longer than expected, there is little expectation that Abe will satisfy Seoul’s demands for new language on the comfort women issue”, said Fawcett.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo also expressed “grave concern” over the North’s intent to conduct a long-range missile launch and a nuclear test, a joint statement issued after their talks said.
Abe told Park he wanted to work with her “to build a new future of forward-looking Japan-Korea relations” and an exchange of honest opinions by the leaders was needed. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.
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“Through trilateral cooperation I believe that we will contribute to the peace and prosperity and security of not only our three countries but the region and the worldwide community”, Park said. South Korea has been unwilling to publicly criticize China over the issue.
