South Korea and Japan are seeking to hold high-level economic talks later this month in Tokyo as the two sides hope to enhance bilateral ties following last month’s breakthrough deal over Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women.
The 14th Korea-Japan high-level economic consultations are reportedly expected to be held in the middle of this month. The consultations, which have been held since 1999, have been a key venue for the two sides to discuss bilateral trade, investment and other economic issues.
Seoul’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Lee Tae-ho is likely to lead the South Korean delegation, while his Japanese counterpart Yasumasa Nagamine is expected to represent the Japanese side.
The agenda for the meeting is expected to include the two countries’ fisheries dispute, which has been referred to the World Trade Organization for dispute settlement.
Seoul has banned the importation of fishery products from eight prefectures in Japan after a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. Tokyo has called the ban inappropriate, and brought the issue to the WTO.
The two sides could also discuss the issue involving Koreans, who were forcibly mobilized for hard labor during Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-45. South Korean victims have filed a lawsuit against Japan, calling for Japan’s compensation.
By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)
