Japan may ban visas, money transfers over S Korea wartime labor dispute

Not enough. Hit back harder.

The comments come after a South Korean court approved the seizure of assets from Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp

Excuse me but whoever is right on this story put aside, and I can't really judge here, I find it quit disturbing that Japan's government is trying to help what is essentially a private company, consuming ressources with tax payers money. Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp is a private company which is surely able to defend itself with its own financial ressources and I don't think that making this a national matter is a good thing.

Considering Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso's family business employed slave labor during the war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aso_Mining_forced_labor_controversy), and he personally refused to meet or apologize to POW who had been forced to work there, I am not really surprised.

Ridiculous spat.  And the average hito in the street and his Korean counterpart could care less about this issue.  Honestly, in the face of all the other issues in the region, this is just childish.

I find it quit disturbing that Japan's government is trying to help what is essentially a private company, consuming ressources with tax payers money. Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp is a private company which is surely able to defend itself with its own financial ressources and I don't think that making this a national matter is a good thing.

exactly!

Considering Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso's family business employed slave labor during the war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aso_Mining_forced_labor_controversy), and he personally refused to meet or apologize to POW who had been forced to work there, I am not really surprised.

Very true!

Ridiculous spat. And the average hito in the street and his Korean counterpart could care less about this issue. Honestly, in the face of all the other issues in the region, this is just childish.

agree

And it continues, politicians who's wealth was made by using slave labour now feel the need to be affronted by the truth.

I find it quit disturbing that Japan's government is trying to help what is essentially a private company

Regardless of how you feel about what happened during the war, Japan's complaint is that by allowing these types of lawsuits to succeed, South Korea is in breach of an agreement signed between the two countries decades ago. The sole purpose of that agreement was to mediate the rights of private parties (private Japanese companies and private Korean individuals). The fact that a private company is the catalyst for this dispute is hardly surprising, let alone disturbing.

Ive said it all along, and now Aso sensei is wisely ordering the same. Japan should cease issuing new tourist and business Visa’s until the crooked Moon regime either orders a stop to this anti-Japan lawsuit, OR is ousted in a coup. Also, put very high taxes on all imported goods from Korea ex foods and liquor (100 percent plus). Maybe, just maybe the Korean public may demand a change of this anti-Japan regime.

Oust Moon!

South Korea is in breach of an agreement signed between the two countries decades ago.

Where can a copy of this agreement be found?

Aso - as hello kitty pointed out, is decidedly hypocritical in his blah, blah attack on the Dark Forces of Korea.

As representative of his family company that reaped riches from war time slave labor esp of Koreans, enabling him to become the richest politician in the land.

And under what authority would he have the power to stop the issuance of visas to private citiizens or halt money transfers for no reason other than a political dispute..

Sure SK may be equally pig headed at times, but once again the ordinary people of the world, citizens of both Japan & Korea will suffer.

Why does an oligarch such as Aso hate the good people of Japan & Korea so much? It can only be because he is so dis-associated from the reality most of us have to survive in, and treats us as lesser mortals with contempt.

If Aso were to face up to his family companies abhorrent past (and other companies/govt issues), then future battles such as these would be on the wane.

But J. Inc can not be seen to be giving in. It believes power is in obstinacy, but in reality it is in wisdom.

Japan could ban new visa issuances and money transfers as countermeasures if South Korea goes ahead with the seizure of assets of a Japanese company over the issue of compensation for wartime labor.

Tit for tat?

@Ex_Res

Where can a copy of this agreement be found?

An English translation of the 1965 agreement can be found at the link below. The relevant provision is Article II paragraph 1. which reads:

The High Contracting Parties confirm that the problems concerning property, rights, and interests of the two High Contracting Parties and their peoples (including juridical persons) and the claims between the High Contracting Parties and between their peoples, including those stipulated in Article IV(a) of the Peace Treaty with Japan signed at the city of San Francisco on September 8, 1951, have been settled completely and finally.

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Agreement_Between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea_Concerning_the_Settlement_of_Problems_in_Regard_to_Property_and_Claims_and_Economic_Cooperation

A court in Korea issued a verdict which contravenes a country to country agreement, so IMO it is up to the government under which the court is empowered to correct the situation. That it has not done so, should not fall upon the shoulders of individuals who wish to travel or to send funds internationally, but rather upon the Korean government. How about seizing the assets of Korean lawmakers and refusing them visas? Surely applying pressure where it has a direct impact and offers at least a slight chance that it will encourage corrective action would be a better approach.

And under what authority would he have the power to stop the issuance of visas to private citiizens or halt money transfers for no reason other than a political dispute..

Getting a Visa to enter another country is not a right anyone has. It's a privilege. The Cabinet (and Aso-san is the 2nd most senior nember) has the right to deny anyone/Any nation a Visa at any time.

Empire Strikes Back, they've been pushing us for way to long, what do you expect?

South Korea is in breach of an agreement signed between the two countries decades ago.

Where can a copy of this agreement be found?

Ex-res, Wiki has it under "Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea"

M3M3M3

Thanks for the link.

Omachi

Thanks also.

Considering Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso's family business employed slave labor during the war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aso_Mining_forced_labor_controversy), and he personally refused to meet or apologize to POW who had been forced to work there, I am not really surprised.

I don’t like Aso Taro but I would note that he was four or five years old at the time “slave labour” was in use. (He was born in 1940.)

I find it quit disturbing that Japan's government is trying to help what is essentially a private company.

Why is this disturbing? Private companies pay corporate taxes. Countries help out their companies in foreign disputes all the time. The US government does this frequently and has done it numerous times in Japan.

Where can a copy of this agreement be found?

The agreement and how Japanese money paid to Korea can be found here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_Basic_Relations_between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea

An English language version of the agreement can be found here:

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Agreement_Between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea_Concerning_the_Settlement_of_Problems_in_Regard_to_Property_and_Claims_and_Economic_Cooperation

No matter if it is a private Company or not, South Korea wants to "steal" their money because they won't get it from the Japanese Government so it makes sense that the Japanese Government helps these companys !

Just imagine they would take all your money because they think your home country owns them, thats unjust.

Actually SKorea should pay money for all the work they are making the Japanese Government do -.-V

Aso the geriatric making the ordinary Koreans pay the price for a Korean’s court judgement-what an Ashole!

And under what authority would he have the power to stop the issuance of visas to private citiizens or halt money transfers for no reason other than a political dispute..

Getting a Visa to enter another country is not a rightanyone has. It's a privilege. The Cabinet (and Aso-san is the 2nd most senior nember) has the right to deny anyone/Any nation a Visa at any time.

I think the question is asking would Aso be able to decide that by himself - to which you answered yes and many would disagree - or should this proposed ban on visas be decided by the Diet.

should this proposed ban on visas be decided by the Diet.

No. The Cabinet will make these decisions, not the Diet. And Aso-Sensei is the second most powerful person in Cabinet. He gets his way if push come to shove. Let's hope Moon comes to his senses, and the blanket travel ban on South Koreans doesn't have to be enforced as it has for North Koreans.

It is useless to deal with South Koreans anymore.

Japan gave 60% bigger money than SK GDP in 1965 for one-time compensation and that money was supposed to be for Wartime victims. The South Korean govt used in for STEEL and Machineries productions and gave little to those wartime victims... AND KOREAN GOVT CONCEALED this huge money even in the text books.

===============================================

Ban more Korean Channels both in OTA and CATV.

Build more SORYU-CLASS SUBMARINES.

Increase AEGIS Destroyers and PAC-2 Missiles. Don't sell components to SK Army.

Increase more F-15 with 24 Missiles.

===============================================

Ganbare Japan!Today 06:24 pm JST

And under what authority would he have the power to stop the issuance of visas to private citiizens or halt money transfers for no reason other than a political dispute..

Getting a Visa to enter another country is not a right anyone has. It's a privilege. The Cabinet (and Aso-san is the 2nd most senior nember) has the right to deny anyone/Any nation a Visa at any time.

Thank you for your reply. Where did you get the idea that I suggested a visa is a right? Did you read that elsewhere? Strange!!!

The point of my comment was once again ordinary citizens - you know, the good folks of Japan & S. Korea - get the short shrift because of leaders on both sides inability to to drop the facades.

Why should ordinary people here and there be denied access to each others countries because Aso and his cohorts and yes Moon and his cohorts can't get it together. Aso speaks with no thought, understanding or even knowledge of ordinary people. He uses them as collateral to play with as he wishes.

If a travel ban came into place the effect on grass roots morale, business, work opportunities, exchanges, tourism, goodwill etc would be greatly impacted - ie the little people will suffer. But no Big Mouth Aso & Co won't feel a ripple. Not a friggin ripple. He only knows his bevy of cronies and their lies to make money and command power.

Ridiculous all around.

Soon to see burning of hinomarus and anti-Japan marches across South Korea.

nanotechnology, you just fell into the trap of hatred. What we need is just opposite: love.

“.......the average hito in the street and his Korean counterpart could care less about this issue.”

So............., there’s currently a certain level of care?

Ganbare Japan:

The way south Korean presidents end up, there is no need for a coup, they just get arrested by the next regime. Imagine if Obama, Bush II, bill Clinton, and bush I were all imprisoned after their term. Great democracy, south Korea...not supposed to be how you deal with the losers.

@M3M3M3

South Korea is in breach of an agreement signed between the two countries decades ago.

The 1965 treaty doesn't cover damages.

If they impose tariffs on Korean products, they are not going to be punishing Koreans, they will be punishing Japanese citizens who purchase those products and services. Just like Trump is not punishing China with the tariffs, but American citizens who now have to spend more on the same products, and have less money for others. The stupidity of politicians is immeasurable. That's why it's extremely crucial to have constitutional provisions that limit the power of the government to do harm to its own citizens.

"A team of lawyers representing South Korean plaintiffs who won the wartime labor case against Mitsubishi Heavy is considering seeking a seizure of the company's assets in Europe."

Wait, in Europe...? How the heck does that work? What do Mitsubishi's assets in Europe have to do with this? When that doesn't work are they going to try to hit the Mitsubishi plant in Michigan??

Korea has gone off the deep end.

So typical of a politician -- create a fight, then send others to fight it.

Japan may ban visas, money transfers over S Korea wartime labor dispute

As the JT cover headline says, this is a labor problem. And it has to be solved within the exclusively labor scope. With private money as it is a labor and business problem.

In this matter both the governments and politicians of Japan and South Korea should not intervene. Nor should taxpayers' public money be used to try to negotiate a solution to a private problem.

It's making a lot of noise to a problem very easy to solve.

If this problem were to happen in Europe. This issue would already be resolved without the need for a media scandal. It would go completely unnoticed.

Does he want another war. Because it wouldn't stop there.

South Korea sure seems to want one. They seem to think they can do whatever they want and Japan needs to just roll over and beg 'Thank you sir, can I have some more?'

Don't SK and Japan realize that what they're doing right now will inevitably cause financial losses in the long run? Hence affecting their respective economies?

You can argue who might lose more than other and vice versa but, at the end of the day, the only one who's benefiting from this whole Japan-Korean beef is China and possibly NK.

A court in Korea issued a verdict which contravenes a country to country agreement, so IMO it is up to the government under which the court is empowered to correct the situation.

I think the SK court has done more than just breach the agreement, it has acted outside its powers, and only got away withit because the SK government would rather play politics.

Japan is within its rights to retaliate, and seek remedy in international forums as well. If it doesn't, then a very dangerous precedent is allowed which sets the tone for all future agreements.

chococya96, never put Japan against China, as simple as that. SK and China wanted to put history behind us, but Abe and Aso constantly and unnecessarily provoke the neighbours on issues like history and security. It is super-stupid to build SK-Japan ally against NK-China. Lord Newton's gravity law doesn't permit it. Northeast Asia is one nation, one people, one culture. Any division only benefits the enemies of Peace.

SK and China wanted to put history behind us

Right. That's why we are here talking about South Korea suing Japanese companies over WWII slave labor... Exactly the opposite of 'putting history behind them'.

WWII is of the past. I wish they would just focus on a brighter future and not let the past be the cause of another war. I really don't care what Japan or any country did during WWII. I wasn't alive then nor were any of my living family members. WWII was a bad time for the whole world. Sometimes you have to forget the past and move on to a better life.

Lots of "downy votes" - heh, heh - but little of substance in discussing the topic and my and others comments.

Why? No comeback?

I reiterate - the only sufferers from Aso & Co's big mouth offs will be the ordinary people of both countries. You know - us, the citizens. The spooners won't squirm at all.

Once again - why do the "leaders" hate the good citizens so much? Why can't they work for the good of the people?

Aso blurting out statements to the like of "We're gonna cut your visas" is a pathetically thought out proposal meant to puff up the righties.

browny1Today  08:56 am JST

Lots of "downy votes" - heh, heh - but little of substance in discussing the topic and my and others comments.

Says a lot about the intellect of the average LDP supporter, really. And then they like to say that all the opposition does is criticise the government.

browny1Today  08:56 am JST

Lots of "downy votes" - heh, heh - but little of substance in discussing the topic and my and others comments.

We both have -5, I see. Think they might all be from one verbally-challenged person with five different accounts? Or five people with no convincing arguments between them to support the government? I mention this because I suspect that paid pro-regime shills are not above a bit of this kind of thing to make their crypto-fascist views look more widely-held than they really are.

since1981 -

I agree with your sentiments, but forgetting the past is fraught with inconsitencies and difficulties, esp for future generations.

"Forgive, but don't forget", would appear to be a more apt line to follow.

We learn from the past and those who don't, will be forever susceptible to repeating past mistakes.

And yes it certainly would be convenient to forget the past and move on as you suggest, but if that were the case there'd be no history so as to speak of.

Spilt milk is spilt, but we should understand why the milk came to be spilt.

Just DO IT.

Long overdue Japan. How long did it take you to stand up to a half a country called South Korea... Close to 60 years of compesation and apologies which only made things worse and worse.