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South Korea and Japan are supposed to hold ministerial-level talks in April in a bid
to improve ties strained over a number of historical issues.
But there's rising speculation the meeting might not take place at all, as the two sides
can't work out an agenda. Connie Kim reports.
Korea and Japan aren't seeing eye-to eye on the agenda for ministerial-level talks scheduled
for April,... and new reports suggest they may not meet at all.
A foreign ministry official from Seoul reaffirmed on Sunday that the discussions would focus
solely on the women who were forced by the Japanese military to work as sex slaves during
the Second World War. That runs counter to what a Japanese foreign
ministry official told the press Friday. The official said the talks should not only
center on the "comfort women" issue, but also on other points of contention between the
two countries. Chief Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday
that discussions should also include his government's claims over Korea-controlled Dokdo island.
If the two countries fail to sit down at the negotiating table in April,... it's expected
to have a further effect on bilateral relations. Tokyo proposed the ministerial-level talks
to Seoul as a concession ahead of its trilateral summit with Korea and the United States last
week.
Korea's efforts to raise awareness of the comfort women issue continues on an unofficial
level. The House of Sharing, a shelter for former
sex slaves, said it has invited Japan's first lady Akie Abe for a visit.
The proposal was made in mid-March during a meeting with Japanese diplomats.
Connie Kim, Arirang News.