Japan calls for S. Korea’s steps to resolve row after talks

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s foreign minister says he expects South Korea to take appropriate steps toward resolving the countries’ wartime disputes, warning that a mishandling especially of the issue of forced Korean laborers would cause “grave” consequences for their bilateral ties. Yoshimasa Hayashi hosted his South Korean counterpart Park Jin on Monday and both reaffirmed the importance of resolving the disputes and improving their ties and the three-way relations with the United States. Relations between Tokyo and Seoul have been at their worst in years, causing concern about security cooperation in East Asia. At the center of the dispute is the abusive treatment of wartime Korean laborers by Japanese factories. South Korea has ordered two Japanese companies to compensate former Korean laborers.