South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said it’s time to put the past behind for a fresh start in South Korea-Japan relations. “Today, as a precautionary measure, I will instruct our trade minister to take the necessary legal steps to put Japan back on our white list,” Yoon said at the start of a cabinet meeting that was televised live today.
The bilateral relationship is not a zero-sum game, but can bring mutual benefits. “I am sure that if South Korea removes the obstacles first, Japan will respond.”
Compensation has been a point of contention for decades
The two countries have been at odds for decades over compensation for South Koreans who were forced to do forced labor or were forced into prostitution during the Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945.
A trade dispute ensued between Japan and South Korea, with the two countries removing each other from the “white list” of countries with accelerated trade status.
Relations between the two US allies progressed this month as the Seoul government presented a proposal for compensation payments for former forced labourers. At a summit in Tokyo last week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Yoon agreed to resume mutual visits and bilateral security dialogue.
