Japan removes memorial stone for Korean wartime victims

ANKARA

Japanese local government in Gunma province has removed a memorial stone for Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor, South Korean media reported on Thursday.

Local authorities in Gunma province began work to remove the stone on Monday and completed it on Wednesday, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported citing local Japanese media.

The memorial stone was erected in 2004 by a civic group in Japan to promote the public's understanding of the shared past history from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and the friendship between the two neighbors, according to the report.

However, in 2014, the provincial government refused to extend the approval citing inappropriate remarks made by the civic group.

Later, the civic group went to the court against the provincial government’s decision but Japan’s top court in 2022 ruled in favor of the government.

Relations between Japan and South Korea dented in 2019 when a South Korean court ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to the victims of Japan's wartime forced labor. Both countries imposed trade sanctions on each other.

However, the relations improved between Tokyo and Seoul following President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022.

Last week, South Korea’s top court in another case ruled in favor of the Korean victims of Japan's forced labor and ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation.

Tokyo considers the issue to have been resolved as South Korea and Japan agreed eight years ago to “finally and irreversibly” resolve the wartime sex slave issue.

Japan apologized for its colonial-era excesses and agreed to contribute 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) to a foundation that supports victims.

But Seoul said in March last year it would compensate Korean victims on its own without asking for contributions from Japanese companies.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid