S. Korea's Moon calls for Japan's Suga to find optimal solution to WWII forced labor issue

SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to find an optimal solution to the issue on South Korean victims who were forced into heavy labor by the Imperial Japan during World War II, according to the presidential Blue House.

Moon had phone talks with Suga, who took office last week, for 20 minutes from 11:00 a.m. local time, exchanging opinions on ways to develop Seoul-Tokyo relations and situations on the Korean Peninsula.

The South Korean president told the Japanese prime minister that it is true that there are different positions between the two countries over the wartime forced labor issue, but Moon expressed hope to jointly find an optimal solution that both governments and all parties involved can accept.

Moon asked Suga to speed up communication efforts to resolve pending issues between Seoul and Tokyo, including the forced labor issue, with a fresh attitude of mind on the occasion of Suga's inauguration as Japanese prime minister.

In response, Suga agreed to encourage dialogue efforts to resolve pending issues, according to the Blue House.

Trade dispute between South Korea and Japan was launched after the South Korean top court's ruling in 2018 that ordered some of Japanese companies to pay reparations to the South Korean victims who were duped or coerced into harsh labor without pay during the Pacific War.

In an apparent protest against the ruling, Japan tightened control over its export to South Korea of three materials in July last year. The materials are vital to producing memory chips and display panels, the mainstay of South Korean export.

In the following month, the two sides removed each other from their respective whitelists of trusted trading partners that are given preferential export procedure.

Moon said South Korea and Japan are the closest neighbors sharing basic value and strategic interests, and partners to cooperate for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world.

Suga said he hopes to establish bilateral relations in a forward-looking manner together with Moon despite various difficulties such as the historical issues.

South Koreans believe that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had never expressed apology and repentance over the Imperial Japan's wartime atrocities, including the forced labor and the sexual slavery of Korean women.

The Japan-funded foundation in Seoul for the South Korean victims, who were forced into sexual enslavement for Japan's military brothels before and during World War II, was officially dissolved in July last year.

The victims denounced the foundation for Abe's failure to sincerely apologize and take legal responsibility for the wartime brutalities.

Meanwhile, Moon and Suga shared the need for cooperation between the two countries to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two leaders agreed to more closely cooperate in the Korean Peninsula peace process.