Japan, South Korea agree on early settlement of wartime labor

Jul 19 (Nikkei) - The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea agreed Monday they will seek an early settlement of a dispute over the issue of compensation demands from South Koreans about wartime labor that has frayed bilateral relations.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his South Korean counterpart Park Jin reached the agreement in a meeting in Tokyo, the first formal sit-down between them since South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's inauguration on May 10, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Despite the show of willingness, a gap on ways to address the long-standing row remains wide.

In the meeting, Park told Hayashi he will make efforts to produce "desirable solutions" before the liquidation of Japanese corporate assets in South Korea that plaintiffs in labor lawsuits have seized, the ministry said.

Hayashi stressed the need for the two neighbors to address pending issues including the dispute over former civilian workers from the Korean Peninsula.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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