Press Releases

On January 9, commencing at around 8:20 a.m. (Japan time) (around 8:20 p.m. on January 8, Brazil time) for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was staying in Brazil, held a Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers' Telephone Talk with H.E. KANG Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

1. Minister Motegi lodged a strong protest, stating that it was extremely regrettable that, in a lawsuit filed by former comfort women and others against the Government of Japan at the Seoul Central District Court of the Republic of Korea, the Seoul Central District Court had rendered a judgement in favor of the plaintiffs, denying the principle of State immunity under international law, and that this judgement was absolutely unacceptable to the Government of Japan.
2. Furthermore, Minister Motegi pointed out that the issue concerning property and claims between Japan and the Republic of Korea, including the issue of comfort women, was settled completely and finally with the Agreement on the Settlement of Problem concerning Property and Claims and on the Economic Co-operation between Japan and the Republic of Korea of 1965, and that it was confirmed that the issue of comfort women was "resolved finally and irreversibly" with the agreement between Japan and the Republic of Korea in 2015. Minister Motegi then strongly urged the Government of the Republic of Korea to take appropriate measures swiftly to remedy its breaches of international law.