外務省関連報道に対する見解

　北朝鮮指導者は，新年の辞において「大陸間弾道ミサイル（ICBM）試験発射事業が最終段階に至った」と述べるなど，国際社会の平和と安定を脅かし続けています。昨年，北朝鮮は2回の核実験や，20発以上の弾道ミサイル発射を繰り返してその能力を向上させており，北朝鮮の核・ミサイルは，米国をも脅かす，新たな段階の脅威となっています。

　こうした北朝鮮の挑発行動に対し，アジアにおける米国の同盟国である日韓，そして日米韓が連携して対応することが極めて重要です。昨年11月には，日韓秘密軍事情報保護協定（GSOMIA）が締結されるなど，日韓協力が具体的に進展しています。

　このような緊密な日米韓協力の背景となっているのが，米国政府も歓迎した，2015年12月末の慰安婦問題に関する日韓合意です。同合意によって，日韓両政府間で慰安婦問題が「最終的かつ不可逆的に解決される」ことが確認され，その後行われた両首脳間の電話会談でも，同合意を両首脳が責任を持って実施していくことを確認し，これまで着実に実施してきました。

　具体的には，上記合意に基づき，韓国側は，元慰安婦の方々の支援を目的とした財団を設立し，これに日本政府の予算（10億円程度）で資金を拠出し，日韓政府が協力し，既に29名のご高齢の元慰安婦の方々に対し医療や介護といった使途のための支出が始まっています。

　一方，2015年の合意においては尹外交部長官が「韓国政府は，日本政府が在韓国日本大使館前の慰安婦像に対し，公館の安寧・威厳の観点から懸念していることを認知し，韓国政府としても，可能な対応方向について関連団体との協議を行う等を通じて，適切に解決されるよう努力する」と表明しています。

　この合意に照して，昨年末韓国の活動家の団体により，在釜山日本国総領事館に面した歩道に慰安婦像が設置されたことは極めて遺憾です。また，本件は領事関係に関するウィーン条約に照らしても問題です。

　日韓合意は，米国をはじめとする国際社会の支持と協力を得て達成した合意であり，国際社会が高く評価したものです。日韓合意の着実な履行は日韓双方にとって国際社会に対する責務であり，また，日韓，日米韓協力推進の基礎を成すものです。この合意に基づいて一昨年末以来，日韓両国は未来志向の関係構築に向けて安全保障分野でも具体的な協力を行ってきています。1月5日に行われた安倍総理大臣との電話会談において，米国のバイデン副大統領も米国政府として慰安婦問題に関する日韓合意を支持しており，これが双方によって着実に履行されることを強く期待する旨述べています。

　日本として合意の実施を基盤として日韓関係を未来志向で前に進めていくとの方針に何ら変わりはありません。日本政府は，日韓合意の着実な実施こそがアジア太平洋における安全保障協力の重要な基礎という認識の下で，韓国政府と協力しながら，アジアと国際社会の平和と安全に貢献していく考えです。

外務省外務報道官　川村泰久

North Korea’s leader stated in his New Year’s address that the country “entered the final stage of preparation for the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile,” threatening the peace and stability of the international community. Last year, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and launched more than 20 ballistic missiles in order to enhance its capabilities. Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development has reached a new level that could pose a direct threat even to the United States.

In this environment, it is extremely important for Japan and South Korea, which are both U.S. allies in Asia, as well as for the trilateral partners of Japan, South Korea and the U.S., to closely cooperate with each other in order to address the provocations of North Korea. We have made concrete progress in cooperation between Japan and South Korea, including conclusion of the Japan-ROK General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) last November.

In the background of the close cooperation among the three countries is the agreement reached at the end of December 2015 between Japan and South Korea regarding the issue of “comfort women,” which was also welcomed by the U.S. government. With this agreement, the governments of Japan and South Korea confirmed that the issue of comfort women is “resolved finally and irreversibly.” The subsequent telephone talks between the Japanese and South Korean leaders confirmed that they would take responsibility to implement this agreement. Since then, the two sides have steadily implemented it.

Specifically, based on the agreement, a foundation was established in South Korea for the purpose of providing support for the former comfort women, to which the Japanese government contributed ¥1 billion from its budget. Through cooperation between the two governments, disbursement has already started for 29 elderly former comfort women to support them in such areas as medical treatment and nursing care.

In the agreement, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se stated that “the government of the ROK acknowledges the fact that the government of Japan is concerned about the statue built in front of the Embassy of Japan in Seoul from the viewpoint of preventing any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity, and will strive to solve this issue in an appropriate manner through taking measures such as consulting with related organizations about possible ways of addressing this issue.”

Therefore, it is highly regrettable that a South Korean activist group installed a statue at the end of last year on the sidewalk in front of the Consulate-General of Japan in Busan. The installation is also problematic in light of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The Japan-South Korea agreement was achieved with the support and cooperation of the international community, including the U.S. The international community has highly appreciated the agreement. I believe that Japan and South Korea bear responsibility to the world for their steady implementation of the agreement, which lays the foundation for further cooperation between the two countries, as well as the trilateral partnership among Japan, South Korea and the U.S.

Building upon the agreement, Japan and South Korea have worked on developing a future-oriented relationship and have also engaged in concrete cooperation in the field of security. Vice U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned on Jan. 5 in a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the U.S. supported the agreement on the comfort women issue and strongly hoped that it would be steadily implemented by the two sides.

Japan sees no change in its position to advance relations with South Korea in a future-oriented manner through the steady implementation of the agreement. The government of Japan is determined to continue to contribute to peace and stability in Asia and the wider international community, with the recognition that the steady implementation of the agreement provides an important foundation for security cooperation in Asia.

Yasuhisa Kawamura is press secretary of the Foreign Ministry.