Japan and South Korea work towards mending bilateral ties

Japan and South Korea: After a long time on Nov 13, a group of South Korean legislators met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in the midst of growing hopes for advancement in ties between the two countries tattered over trade and historical issues. 

Seven individuals from the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians’ Union came to Tokyo for a three-day visit on Thursday, gave a courtesy call on the new Japanese pioneer. This was the first time that Suga met South Korean lawmakers since he took office as the new PM in September.

Japan and South Korea have conflicted over Tokyo’s export checks a year ago that is viewed as a political reprisal for Korean Supreme Court decisions in 2018 that mandated Japanese firms to remunerate South Koreans casualties of wartime forced labor. Japan controlled the Korean Peninsula between 1910-1945. 

The two nations continue to be profoundly divided over many historical issues, these member groups play a significant role in mending bilateral relationship for their respective regimes.

On Thursday, the officials had a one-on-one meeting with the Japanese partners and discussed ways to boost cooperation and trades between the two nations. The lawmakers consented to frame a special panel devoted to bilateral relations for the Tokyo Olympic Games, which have been deferred to 2021 because of the pandemic.

The Japan-South Korea Parliamentarians’ Association comprises of Diet members in the two houses. The two groups reach several trade meetings and pay courtesy calls to the leader of South Korea or the Japanese prime minister.

The affiliation negotiation between the two governments takes into consideration more adaptable and open trades contrasted with those that happen in summits between Japan and South Korea. The meetings permit the two sides to pass on unofficial information from their administrators too. 

In 2018, the relations between Japan and South Korea dropped to rock bottom when South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled Japanese firms to compensate South Koreans and their family members that were forced to work during World War II. 

The bilateral relations between the two nations have been hampered by disputes and the emergence of the pandemic as well. The December meeting had been viewed as a route for the three heads to talk about these different issues vis-à-vis. 

The Korean affiliation was driven by recently appointed leader Kim Jin-Pyo. Kim stated regretted that the historical problems endured and that there was an adverse economic effect.

While there was no forward leap on the historical issues, the two sides consented to collaborate toward the Tokyo Olympics, set for 2021, and also to proceed with their discourse.

“We will work collectively with Japan to secure democracy, universal principles, and values of international law,” Moon stated. “I hope the bilateral partnership to uphold human rights would operate as a ‘bridge of friendship’ between South Korea and Japan.”