Japan, South Korea to resolve disputes

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (pictured) on Sunday said that he and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol have reaffirmed that their countries will work towards a swift resolution of the wartime labour issue. At stake is an unresolved dispute over compensation for the Korean wartime labourers used by Japanese firms during World War Two, which had worsened bilateral relations in recent years. “We reiterated again that we are hoping for the swift resolution of the wartime labour issue, on the understanding that the speed of the discussions between our diplomatic counterparts is accelerating,” Kishida told reporters.