November 8th, 2017 | Updated on April 3rd, 2024
Reparations Meeting Between Japan/USA Productive and Reaffirming Japan’s Commitment To Victims
Japan recently met with the US in reference to a 2015 agreement between Japan and South Korea regarding reparations for Japan’s use of South Korean comfort women for their troops.
The US has worked with Japan to broker an agreement between Japan and South Korea to encourage the payment of reparations to South Korea in order to repay women working in brothels. Japan is in agreement with the United States on the talks between Japan/South Korea in that Japan should make reparations to South Korea.
The original deal was in 2015, and the recent talks with the US were to ensure that Japan would adhere to the original conditions of the 2015 deal. This is an agreement which was made between South Korea’s former Conservative Prime Minister, and Japan.
Assurance of Steady, Productive Implementation Of Agreement
The more recent talks were between the Deputy Secretary of State and Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister, before President Donald Trump was to meet with Shinzo Abe.
Both the Deputy Secretary and Vice Foreign Minister agreed that the reparations should be made to South Korea. Japan has provided assurance that they will implement the agreement in a very steady, productive, and consistent way.
Agreement Made Between Japan/South Korea in 2015
However, the new incoming President of South Korea is still in disagreement over the terms of the deal that Japan has offered. To the new Korean President, the terms of the deal aren’t enough to satisfy the damage caused by Japan over their use of comfort women in light of many comfort women testimonies and comfort women stories.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered 1 Billion JPY in 2016 in order to make reparations to the affected in addition to sincere apologies to the Korean comfort women affected. However, US support of the 2015 agreement indicates that the original agreement is favorable and fair to both Japan and South Korea.
Renegotiation Made On Promise By Elected Officials
When the new Prime Minister of South Korea ran for election, he promised to renegotiate the 2015 agreement. This has resulted in somewhat of a political stalemate between the two parties, and talks have resumed.
The huge benefit to the renegotiation of the agreement is that productive talks between the two parties have resumed regarding North Korea’s nuclear threat.
Agreement To Strengthen Relationships Between Japan/South Korea
Japan and the new South Korean Prime Minister are working to strengthen relations on a bilateral level.
Japan believes that they have made a good start to advancing talks with South Korea. Japan also wants to work with both the US and South Korea to counter the North Korean nuclear threat.
Confirmation of China’s Role In Nuclear Talks
The Vice Foreign Minister of Japan and the Deputy Secretary of State also agreed that there should be more pressure put on North Korea to encourage them to curb their nuclear program.
Finally, there was an additional affirmation of the role that China should play in advancing the nuclear talks with South Korea.
