SEOUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2021) South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday he was opposed to forcibly selling off Japanese assets in the country to fund reparations for victims of wartime sexual slavery.
Seoul and Tokyo have been at loggerheads over a South Korean court order mandating Japan to pay 12 women over $90,000 each over their exploitation as so-called comfort women by Imperial Japan during World War II. One support group said it may take legal action to force the seizure of Japanese assets if Tokyo continues to refuse payments. According to South Korean state news agency Yonhap, Moon said at his New Year's press conference that such a move would be unfavorable for bilateral relations, preferring the diplomatic route.
"I don't think that liquidating [assets of Japanese firms] through forcible enforcement means is desirable for bilateral relations. Before reaching that stage, what should take precedence is finding a diplomatic solution, which plaintiffs can agree to," Moon said as quoted by Yonhap.
The court ruling was reached earlier in January and is the latest in a long standoff between the East Asian neighbors over the issue. Japan maintains that the issue was settled in a 2015 agreement that saw previous leadership issue apologies and fund a foundation supporting the victims. The recent rulings come in relation to lawsuits filed by separate groups of victims and their families. The issue led to a trade spat between the two in 2019 which saw Japan suspend the sale of raw materials crucial for the giant South Korean tech manufacturing sector.
