(LEAD) Opposition leader denounces gov't compensation plan for forced labor victims

(ATTN: ADDS ruling party's response)
By Kim Na-young

SEOUL, March 6 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung lambasted the government's decision to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor without the involvement of Japanese firms as the country's worst-ever humiliation in history.

The government of President Yoon Suk Yeol came up with the plan to create a foundation charged with collecting public donations and compensating victims of Japan's forced labor during its 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea in an effort to resolve the biggest thorn in relations between the two countries.

But the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), some victims and civic groups have expressed outrage that it makes no sense to compensate victims with public donations, rather than money from Japanese companies that exploited forced labor victims.

"The Yoon Suk Yeol administration appears to have ultimately chosen the path to betraying historical justice," DP leader Lee Jae-myung said during a party meeting, calling the deal "the biggest humiliation and stain in diplomatic history."

"I ask the president, 'Whose government is this government?'" he said, comparing the agreement to "the Humiliation at Samjeondo," a 1637 incident in which the then king of Korea's Joseon Dynasty surrendered to China's Qing Dynasty by kneeling and bowing after a defeat in war.

The forced labor row began after South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japanese companies, such as Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to pay compensation to Korean forced labor victims in 2018, and Japan imposed export curbs against Seoul in apparent retaliation the following year.

The Japanese government has long claimed that all reparation issues stemming from its colonial occupation were settled under a 1965 treaty under which Seoul normalized relations with Tokyo in exchange for US$300 million in grants and $200 million in low-interest loans.

The Yoon administration put forward the idea of using a public foundation to compensate victims.

"The compensation will likely be made with a fund raised by our companies, not Japanese firms that committed war crimes, and Japan's apology is also expected to be at a level of repeating past statements," Lee said, noting his party will not tolerate any attempt to give "indulgence" to Japan's war crimes.

"It is secondary harm to victims calling for a sincere apology and compensation from assailants and violence that goes against the Supreme Court ruling," Lee added.

Monday's announcement of the solution to the row came after months of talks with Japan in line with the conservative Yoon administration's push for strengthening trilateral security partnership with the United States and Japan in a region marked by China's assertiveness and North Korea's provocations.

Rep. Chung Jin-suk of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) said he understands the government came up with the solution after comprehensively taking into account the changes in the grim international situation, the importance of trilateral security cooperation and yearnings among future generations for greater exchanges with Japan.

"The issue of forced labor was like 'passing a bomb.' No previous government tried to resolve the issue. As a result, the relationship between South Korea and Japan has been left strained and remained in the worst state since the normalization of relations," Chung said. "We cannot help but ask ourselves whether it conforms to national interest to let this Korea-Japan relationship go on."

Chung also urged Japan to come up with sincere measures in return.

"The ball is now in Japan's court," he said. "It should decide whether it will let this issue drift away ... or put an end to this matter from the position of sincere concern for issues between South Korea and Japan."

nyway@yna.co.kr
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