/SOUTH KOREA: Japan, S. Korea Struggle To Resolve Historical Disputes

While Japan and South Korea have tightened their security cooperation amid the shared North Korea threat, they continue to struggle to make progress on bilateral disputes surrounding wartime forced labour, Jiji reports.

• The two nations have been divided by the issue of compensation for Korean forced labourers working under the Japanese occupation during World War II, with Tokyo arguing that the matter was settled under a 1965 treaty.
• Sources told Jiji that diplomats from both nations are working on a compromise solution, but progress has been hampered by low approval ratings of both administrations, with Japanese and South Korean envoys struggling to hammer out a deal that would not cause domestic backlash.