Japan has released a pair of documents purportedly backing its claims,... that its 1965 treaty with South Korea completely settles the issue of compensation for wartime forced labor.
The South Korean government, however, flatly denied Japan's claims.
Park Hee-jun has more. The Japanese foreign ministry has revealed partial records of the negotiations leading up to the 1965 treaty normalizing relations between South Korea and Japan.
On Monday, it released to correspondents two documents from the working-level negotiations that took place on May 10th, 1961.
They indicate that South Korea demanded compensation from Japan... for people who suffered mental and physical pain caused by forced labor under Japan's colonial rule.
They also show that the South Korean delegation demanded compensation at the national level,... after which payments would be distributed according to the victims' needs.

The Japanese government is using this to claim that the treaty clearly includes compensation money for the victims of forced labor,... and thus completely and finally settles the issue.
It also says... that contradicts South Korea's argument that there are still outstanding claims for compensation from individuals.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday... that these documents have been revealed before and that they contain nothing new.
But he said Japan will continue releasing such documents to support its argument that South Korea is violating international law.

To this, Seoul's foreign ministry clarified in a statement Tuesday... that not only is there nothing new about the records... the Supreme Court considered that very information in ordering Japanese companies to compensate the victims.
It also reiterated that the top court ruled that the treaty does not cover compensation... and that it honors the court's final decision.

Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.