Japan, South Korea Reach ‘Groundbreaking’ Deal to Mend Ties

Japan and South Korea announced a breakthrough to end a feud that had disrupted ties on everything from trade to security, drawing praise from President Joe Biden as he seeks to convince the two US allies to help counter growing Chinese influence in Asia.

March 7, 2023 . 3:18 PM

1 min read

Japan and South Korea signaled a breakthrough to end a feud that had disrupted ties on everything from trade to security.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol proposed a plan to resolve a dispute over people forced to work for Japanese companies during the country's colonization of the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean companies, rather than Japanese ones, would finance a foundation to pay forced-labor victims.
Seoul also pledged to withdraw a World Trade Organization complaint over Japanese export controls on chemicals used to make smart-phone displays, TV screens and semiconductors.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi welcomed the effort to 'return ties to a healthy state' and both sides announced talks on rolling back trade curbs.