![]() ![]() In late March, Japan's trade ministry lifted export curbs to South Korea on the high-tech materials, while South Korea withdrew its complaint filed at the World Trade Organization on Japan's export controls. In mid-March, Kishida and Yoon met in Tokyo, in the first visit by a South Korean leader to Japan for a bilateral working meeting in 12 years. As of early May, 10 out of 15 surviving victims have accepted the plan, but are still calling for an apology from Japan. In March, Yoon's administration proposed establishing a public foundation to compensate the plaintiffs in the Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries cases. At the time Seoul threatened to pull out of an intelligence-sharing deal with Tokyo, but backed down at the last minute under pressure from the United States, which has pushed for its two allies to mend ties. Relations deteriorated in 2019 when Japan restricted exports of high-tech materials for making chips and display panels to South Korea. ![]() Tokyo has warned of serious repercussions if the orders are enforced. In 2018 South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japan's Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp (5401.T) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T) to compensate some wartime forced labourers. But then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided to dissolve the fund in 2018, effectively scrapping the agreement as he said it did not do enough to consider victims' concerns. In 2015, South Korea and Japan reached a settlement under which Tokyo issued an official apology to "comfort women" who say they were enslaved in wartime brothels, and provided 1 billion yen ($9.23 million) to a fund to help the victims. Japan says the matter of any compensation for wartime labour was settled under a 1965 treaty normalising diplomatic ties and providing South Korea with economic assistance. Various measures have been taken over the years in attempts to resolve the issues. ![]() Koreans accuse Japan of forcing women to work in wartime brothels for the Japanese military and using forced labour, among other abuses. allies have been strained over disputes dating to Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea. Relations between the two North Asian U.S. However, the trip will be overshadowed by historical issues and other disputes between the two countries - in some of which progress has been made, while others remain intractable. May 5 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will be visiting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday in the latest effort to improve bilateral ties. ![]()
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