Japan's Prime Minister Abe had a nearly two hours' conference with President Park of South Korea at Seoul back on 2 November. Such a talk had not been held for more than three years, reflecting worsened official relations between the two. It is not possible to say that the meeting this time marked a step forward to solve the difficult relations. Still, it was better than no meeting. No summit between the two neighbouring countries for more than three years, by itself, shows the failure of diplomacy on the part of one or both of them.
As has been argued in these columns more than once, the point was how to overcome the South Korean claim for the "comfort women". It is, however, the tip of the iceberg. The Treaty of restoring relations between the two, concluded in 1965, fifty years ago, under the auspices on the Korean side of none other than President Park, the present one's father, who was keen on rapid and forced industrialization of his country, says that all the claims on the Korean side were finally abandoned by the Treaty. Not only the claims by the "comfort women", but by all the others, were suppressed by the strong hand of the then President, who had grasped the power by a military coup. It was the stand of the Japanese Government ever since that the claims of all sorts had therefore been solved. These words in the Treaty had been very conveniently used by them.
The conference this time agreed that the "comfort women" question should be solved at an early date, and the high bureaucrats of both sides have got into negotiations. It is difficult, however, to foresee that Japan would jump over the words of the above Treaty. It would undermine Abe's rightest constituency which likes to believe that there was no such problem as the "comfort women". In fact he is reportedly demanded at the conference that the small statue of such women which had been established in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul by the women's supporters be removed.
It is, however, time that Japan stops adhering to the words of fifty years ago, one way or another. It would greatly enhance Japan's credibility not only with the Koreans but also in the whole of Asia. The Treaty has been already denied and ignored by South Korea by, for example, her President's visit to the North, while it says that South Korea is recognized as the only legal state in the Korean Peninsula. Japan is able to contribute to ease the tensions in East Asia in more ways than one, and certainly one of them would be to give serious consideration to the claims of the people victimized under the Japanese rule like the "comfort women". If the present Government is not keen on such a programme, it should give way to another which is.
As has been argued in these columns more than once, the point was how to overcome the South Korean claim for the "comfort women". It is, however, the tip of the iceberg. The Treaty of restoring relations between the two, concluded in 1965, fifty years ago, under the auspices on the Korean side of none other than President Park, the present one's father, who was keen on rapid and forced industrialization of his country, says that all the claims on the Korean side were finally abandoned by the Treaty. Not only the claims by the "comfort women", but by all the others, were suppressed by the strong hand of the then President, who had grasped the power by a military coup. It was the stand of the Japanese Government ever since that the claims of all sorts had therefore been solved. These words in the Treaty had been very conveniently used by them.
The conference this time agreed that the "comfort women" question should be solved at an early date, and the high bureaucrats of both sides have got into negotiations. It is difficult, however, to foresee that Japan would jump over the words of the above Treaty. It would undermine Abe's rightest constituency which likes to believe that there was no such problem as the "comfort women". In fact he is reportedly demanded at the conference that the small statue of such women which had been established in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul by the women's supporters be removed.
It is, however, time that Japan stops adhering to the words of fifty years ago, one way or another. It would greatly enhance Japan's credibility not only with the Koreans but also in the whole of Asia. The Treaty has been already denied and ignored by South Korea by, for example, her President's visit to the North, while it says that South Korea is recognized as the only legal state in the Korean Peninsula. Japan is able to contribute to ease the tensions in East Asia in more ways than one, and certainly one of them would be to give serious consideration to the claims of the people victimized under the Japanese rule like the "comfort women". If the present Government is not keen on such a programme, it should give way to another which is.
