SEOUL: South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in a New Year’s address on Monday, pledged to continue efforts for the sake of future-oriented development of relations between Japan and South Korea, which have been frayed over history and other issues.

Regarding Japan’s tighter controls of exports to South Korea, Moon said efforts by South Korean businesses have overcome the regulations.

Moon made the remarks at a time when South Korean procedures are being promoted to convert Japanese companies’ seized assets into cash after South Korean court orders for the companies to pay compensation linked to wartime labor.

Also, a South Korean district court ordered the Japanese government on Friday to pay compensation to former comfort women in South Korea, who were mostly forced to serve as prostitutes for Japanese troops before and during World War II.

The Moon government is taking a positive stance toward improving the soured ties with Japan, but has not offered specific solutions to these problems, which have provoked a backlash from Japan.

JIJI Press