한일, 스가 취임 후 첫 외교국장급 대면협의...강제징용 등 입장차 크게 못 좁혀<br /><br />South Korea and Japan resumed director-general-level dialogue today to discuss pending bilateral issues, including the compensation of Korean forced labor victims and Japan's trade restrictions.<br />It was the first of such talks since Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took office last month, but it appears little progress was made.<br />Yoon Jung-min reports.<br />South Korea and Japan held talks Thursday on a series of thorny issues,... but reportedly made little progress.<br />The Director-General for Asia and Pacific Affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, Kim Jung-han, sat down in Seoul with his Japanese counterpart Shigeki Takizaki.<br />According to the foreign ministry, Kim asked that Tokyo take a more sincere approach to compensating the Korean victims of wartime forced labor.<br />To compensate them, based on a South Korean court order, the local assets of a Japanese company are set to be liquidated.<br />Kim also called for Japan to withdraw its export curbs on Seoul, saying the restrictions are "unjust."<br />On these issues, however, the Japanese side is said to have simply reiterated its own stance.<br />But sources did say Japan seemed more willing to engage in talks under Suga's leadership.<br />As for regional issues, Kim called for a trilateral summit to be held between South Korea, Japan and China in Seoul this year.<br />On the issue of Fukushima, the South Korean official expressed deep concerns about Japan's plan to dump radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.<br />The Japanese diplomat, who is also in charge of nuclear affairs, also met on Thursday with Seoul's top nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon.<br />They exchanged views on working together for complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.<br />Seoul's foreign ministry said it will continue engaging in dialogue with Tokyo for the denuclearization of North Korea... and on pending issues regarding Pyeongyang.<br />"Having finished the first director level dialogue since Japanese Prime Minister Suga took office in September, the Japanese diplomat is expected to leave Seoul on Friday.<br />Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News."<br />
