스가 "압류자산 현금화하면 한일관계 심각 상황...절대 피해야"
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Seoul-Tokyo ties will be seriously hampered if a Japanese company's assets in Korea are sold off to compensate victims of wartime forced labor.
In the meantime, South Korean Ambassador to Japan says there are signs of a more positive stance from the Japanese government on the issue .
Yoon Jung-min reports.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says there will be "very serious consequences" should a Japanese company's assets seized in South Korea be liquidated to compensate South Korean victims of wartime forced labor.
Therefore, he said, it must be avoided.
Tokyo has even warned of retaliation should Seoul sell off local assets of Nippon Steel...following the 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling.
"I think he has reiterated Japan's previous stance on the issue. It doesn't seem like he has sent more of a hard-lined message."
At a press conference Wednesday during a visit to Jakarta, Suga said he has already commented on the issue several times.
When asked whether or not he will visit Seoul for a trilateral summit later this year, Suga offered no further comment...and said that nothing has been confirmed.
The Japanese media had previously reported that Suga will not travel to South Korea if no further progress has been made in solving the dispute.
In the meantime, South Korean Ambassador to Japan Nam Gwan-pyo said there are signs of a more positive stance from the Japanese government regarding the issue.
Nam attended a virtual parliamentary inspection on Wednesday, and said he feels a shift in atmosphere...and that Suga is a bit different from his predecessor Shinzo Abe.
The embassy sees Suga as having a more practical approach and so an openness for dialogue and cooperation is expected.
It added, however, that a change of stance from Suga on certain historical issues would be difficult to expect.
Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.
