The government led by Yoon Seok-Yeol has faced intense criticism for announcing a resolution to the issue of forced mobilization under Japanese colonialism in Korea, which omits Japan's apology and the participation of Japanese defendant companies in compensating the victims.

On March 6th, the Yoon government officially announced a plan to compensate forced labor victims using funds voluntarily contributed by domestic companies. However, the proposed resolution excludes the participation of Japanese companies, such as Mitsubishi, involved in the forced labor, including an apology for the forced labor. As a result, the young generation also criticized the government's remarks as insulting past Japanese forced labor victims.

■ Victim Defamation

The Yoon government announced a resolution with "third-party compensations" as the main content. Third-party compensation means that domestic companies, not the Japanese companies that are the perpetrators, will be forced to donate funds to compensate the victims. The content mainly involves compensating the victims using donations from domestic companies that the Foundation for Korea Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan, which is under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, received through the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Settlement Agreement. The target is 15 victims who received compensation confirmation from the Supreme Court in October 2018.

This is a result where the main demands of the victims are not guaranteed at all. Victims of forced labor strongly condemned this resolution in an emergency declaration against the government's resolution on March 7th and at a meeting of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on March 13th, where Yang Geum-Deok, a victim of forced labor, said, "I will never accept that money even if I starve to death" and "I don't know if Yoon Seok-Yeol is Korean or from Chosun, or which country he comes from."

The young generation is also opposed to the government's proposed resolution to forced labor. Jo Min-Sung (Dept. of Media & Communication, 22) strongly criticized the government, saying, "While it is possible for diplomatic policies to change with a transformation in the ruling party, this should be limited to current events. The government's stance on issues involving the country's past pain should not change, and any statements that insult past victims of forced labor should have been condemned by the President." Park Kang-Woo (Dept. of History Education, 19) said, "The government's proposed solution shows no trace of considering the voices of the victims, such as Japan's apology and compensation. It is incomprehensible that the current government is giving Japan absolution while silencing the voices of its victims."

There are also legal criticisms of the third-party compensation plan proposed by the government. Hwang Young-Il, a representative lawyer at Yeonwoo Law Firm, pointed out that “if the creditor, the forced labor victim, refuses to accept such money, it cannot be recognized as a valid compensation," adding that "if a Korean forced labor victim refuses to accept the money or if a Japanese steel company denies the debt itself, the problem may become more complicated rather than being resolved."

Lawyer Hwang advised that a support plan should be established through legislation. He criticized the government for attempting to force a legal argument by stating that "it is a problem for the government to try to substitute for the obligation of a Japanese steel company," and said that "It is legally appropriate to make legislation and create a support plan by oneself in accordance with Article 10 of the Constitution."

■ Japan's Denial of Forced Labor

While the Yoon administration expected Japan's sincere response, the Japanese government denied the existence of forced labor. On March 9th, Hayashi Yoshimasa, Japan's Foreign Minister, stated at the National Security Committee of the Japanese Parliament, "Nothing falls under the category of forced labor in the treaty. It is not appropriate to call them forced labor." This goes against the expectations of the Yoon administration for a forward-looking relationship between Korea and Japan.

This can be compared to Germany's case, where they acknowledged their wrongdoings and sought forgiveness. Starting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt kneeling before the memorial for Jewish victims in Poland in December 1970, Germany has continued to make efforts to apologize. In order to take responsibility for the war crimes committed by Germany, the government and companies responsible for forced labor contributed 10 billion marks to establish the EVZ Foundation in August 2000. The foundation compensated more than 1.6 million forced laborers from 100 countries until June 2007 and continues to engage in projects for reconciliation.

The Yoon administration has presented many things to build a forward-looking Korea-Japan relationship. These include Japan's participation in compensating for forced labor committed by Japanese companies, an apology from the Japanese government, and the withdrawal of the WTO lawsuit, but there are concerns that more sacrifices may be required. Lee Seung-Min (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 18), a representative student of the Busan Branch of the Korea Council for Unification Movement (KCUM), pointed out that "the Korea-Japan Summit on March 16th, which was nothing like receiving a list of demands, including the implementation of the agreement on Sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army, sovereignty over Dokdo, and the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima.”

Reporter Im Hyeon-Gyu

Translated by Seo Hae-Seong