Major diplomatic defeat

• Published date: 07 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Some things are too difficult to accept, no matter how prepared you are.

One such thing is the government's plan announced Monday to resolve the issue of Korean victims of wartime forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 occupation.

Its content had nothing new. Seoul will compensate the claimants first with money donated by Korean companies that benefited from Japan's grants and loans according to the 1965 Basic Agreement.

That was all, however. It contained no follow-up moves from Japan, such as an expression of remorse by Tokyo or consequent participation by the two Japanese wartime employers, Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

"I hope that the Japanese government will offer a comprehensive apology and the Japanese firms will make voluntary contributions to the fund," Foreign Minister Park Jin said. However, Tokyo said it would inherit previous governments' expressions of regrets (without renewing them) and let the two firms decide on their own (instead of forcing anything).

It was a one-sided diplomatic defeat for Seoul. As recently as January, Korean diplomats said they could not finish the bargaining because Tokyo would not promise corresponding steps. Monday's announcement showed they couldn't move an inch forward for two months. Still, Minister Park said, "the solution was made under our initiative," adding that "the cup has now been more than half-filled."

It was little more than the Orwellian twisting of "losing is winning." The cup is undoubtedly half-empty and will likely remain so if Tokyo's attitude does not change. Park said, unlike previous governments, the incumbent administration could no longer ignore the aged victims' situation. But all three surviving plaintiffs rejected the plan, calling it a "beggarly solution." Previous governments could not do it. We can't help but wonder for whom ? and what ? does this government struggle so hard.

President Yoon Suk Yeol answered, "It was a decision from a broad viewpoint for the future-oriented relationship." But Yang Geum-deok, one of the three surviving victims, responded by epitomizing the sentiment shared by most Koreans. "Is President Yoon Suk...