Ep.79 Seoul, Tokyo start engaging in talks to resolve forced labor issue
World Ch. Schedule : THU 22:30 KST
Date : 2019-12-05
South Korea and Japan have started holding talks since the Korean government announced it would conditionally extend GSOMIA on November 22nd.
The two sides are searching for ways to resolve the bilateral dispute rooted in the forced labor issue.
The forced labor issue had occurred when the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that Japanese companies should compensate Korean victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor in October 2018. Tokyo has expressed strong regret over the ruling by Seoul’s top court and started imposing trade measures on Korea.
Japan said the Korean individuals are not allowed to seek compensation as Seoul and Tokyo have signed the 1965 Basic Treaty, which settles all war reparations between the two sides.
The spat has heightened and turned into a trade dispute since Japan placed export curbs on Korea.
The tensions have grown between the two nations across the past five months. But they now have found a way to thaw the frosty ties.
The big task Seoul and Tokyo are facing is whether they could resolve the forced labor dispute.
