South Korea and Japan Foreign Ministers to Meet in Seoul Monday To Discuss a Solution For The "Comfort Women" Issue
South Korea confirmed Friday it will host foreign ministerial talks with Japan in Seoul on Monday to discuss the long-running "comfort women" issue, particularly over the apology and compensation due to the victims of the Japanese military's wartime sexual abuses.
Korea Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida will meet Monday afternoon in Seoul.
The officials are expected to "exchange opinions on pending issues between the countries and issues of mutual concern, including the Japanese military comfort women issue," Seoul's Foreign Ministry said.
Prior to the meeting a director-level consultation on the issue will be held in Seoul on Sunday. This will be the 12th round of director-level talks regarding the matter.
Seoul and Tokyo for a long time have failed to come settle with a resolution over the "comfort women" issue. This has caused a strain in the countries' relationship with each other despite improving cultural and economic exchanges.
Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Yun and Korean officials devised a strategy for the talks from Thursday to Friday.
"If this were a game of go, this would be the concluding move," an Korean Foreign Ministry official told Korea JoongAng Daily. "What's left now is whether you win or lose by a half point."
South Korea is adamant that Japan own up to its wartime atrocities in order for Seoul and Tokyo to have smooth-sailing relations in the future. The South Korean government calls for Japan to make a formal apology to the victims as well as arrange for their compensation, the Korea Herald noted Saturday.
According to a Korea Times report, the bilateral talks were announced hours after Nikkei Asian Review reported that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is looking at creating a $831,877-worth fund to help victims of sexual slavery by Japanese forces during World War II.
Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida is expected to lobby the proposal during the meeting with Yun.
Lee Won Deog, an international studies professor at Kookmin University, describes the fund as an "improved step" for Japan as it shows the country's willingness to take responsibility for the issue.
