RESTRICTED
0647.
MDIAN 08:
REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO THE COMFORT WOMEN AND THE FORCED LABOUR IN SAKHALIN (IE IN ADDITION TO THE IMPOSITION OF JAPANESE EDUCATION AND JAPANESE NAMES MENTIONED IN THE PRESS STATEMENT). THE TWO GOVERNMENTS ARE NOW STUDYING AT WORKING LEVEL WAYS OF DEALING WITH THE CLAIMS OF THE FORCED LABOURERS.
COMFORT WOMEN
4.
WE ASKED NAKAMURA HOW THE DEBATE WITHIN THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT ON WAYS OF GIVING CONCRETE EXPRESSION TO THE STATEMENTS OF REMORSE WAS PROGRESSING. NAKAMURA SAID THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN NECESSARY TO DEAL WITH THIS IN THE MEETING WITH KIM. THE SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT HAD ESTABLISHED A COMMITTEE TO CHECK CLAIMS AND ON THE BASIS OF THESE FINDINGS HAD IMPLEMENTED THEIR OWN MEASURES TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION. JAPAN COULD NOT CONSIDER EXTENDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS. NEVERTHELESS, THEY WERE CONSIDERING SOME FORM OF GESTURE. ONE OPTION WAS A FUND ADMINISTERED BY THE SOUTH KOREAN RED CROSS (THE SAME MECHANISM AS HAD BEEN USED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO SOUTH KOREAN VICTIMS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI). THE SITUATION IN OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES WAS QUITE DIFFERENT. THE NUMBERS INVOLVED WERE POTENTIALLY HUGE. JAPAN HOPED THAT OTHER GOVERNMENTS WOULD ADOPT MEASURES SIMILAR TO THOSE TAKEN BY SOUTH KOREA. BUT NAKAMURA WAS SCEPTICAL WHETHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE PHILIPPINES WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS. NOR DID HE THINK THE RED CROSS ORGANISATIONS IN OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES WOULD BE AS WELL PLACED AND WELL ORGANISED AS THE SOUTH KOREAN RED CROSS TO ADMINISTER A FUND. FUJII CONFIRMED THAT NEITHER SIDE BELIEVED THAT THE MATTER COULD REST WITH AN APOLOGY, HOWEVER COMPREHENSIVE.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
5. NAKAMURA SAID THAT THE REMAINDER OF THE DISCUSSION HAD FOCUSSED ON AREAS IN WHICH THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP COULD BE DEVELOPED IN THE FUTURE: COOPERATION ON INTERNATIONAL ISSUES, ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGES. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION WAS LIKELY TO HAVE A REGIONAL FOCUS. NORTH KOREA WAS OBVIOUSLY A SHARED CONCERN AND WAS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL (MY TELNOS 846-847). FOR THE TIME BEING THE MOST FRUITFUL PROSPECTS WERE IN THE CONTEXT OF APEC. BOTH SIDES AGREED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LEADERS' MEETING IN SEATTLE. THERE WAS AGREEMENT TO COOPERATE ON THE HANDLING OF NUCLEAR WASTE DUMPING IN THE JAPAN SEA. FUJII SAID THAT NO OTHER POTENTIAL AREAS FOR COOPERATION HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED WHETHER IN THE SUMMIT OR SUBSEQUENTLY AT OFFICIAL LEVEL.
PAGE 2 RESTRICTED