Trump Administration Weighs Executive Order on Vaccines and Autism Research 
Zelensky Urges Faster NATO Action on Air Defense Missiles 
North Korea May Deploy 120 Missiles to Russia 
Bezalel Smotrich Faces Election Battle as Israel’s Far-Right Vote Fractures 
Russia Intensifies Drone and Bomb Attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Deepening Civilian Fear 
Trump Unveils $3 Billion U.S. Critical Minerals Push 
Rubio, UK’s Miliband Stress Stronger European Security Role in Washington Talks 
New Zealand MMP Electoral System Faces Fresh Referendum Debate 
U.S. Unseals Charges Against Five Alleged CJNG Leaders, Raises Reward for New Cartel Chief 
Colombia President Abelardo De La Espriella Pledges Drug Crackdown, Economic Reforms 
Russian Strikes Kill Six in Eastern and Northern Ukraine, Dozens Injured 
Senate Majority Leader John Thune Moves to Advance Crypto Clarity Act 
US Expects Iran-Oman Hormuz Shipping Deal Soon 
US Continues Ukraine Patriot Missile Production Talks Despite Trump Doubts 
Ukraine Agrees to Protect Kazakhstan Oil Exports via Black Sea 
Trump Orders Probe Into Pentagon Munitions Stockpile Leaks After Iran Conflict 
Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary, Sets Up Key Midterm Showdown 
South Korea and Japan are reportedly close to a deal that could solve the long-running dispute over Japan’s wartime forced labor that has strained relations between the two countries. The move comes as South Korea announced its solution to the historical and legal dispute.
Media reports on Sunday said that Seoul is set to announce its solution to the historical and legal dispute stemming from Japan’s occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945 on Monday. The labor dispute, as well as the issue of forcing women to work in Japanese brothels at the time, has long strained relations between South Korea and Japan for years. Regarding the reported agreement with Japan, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement that negotiations are still taking place.
“The government is continuing to consult in various ways between diplomatic authorities at all levels in order to come up with a reasonable solution that meets the common interests of Korea and Japan as soon as possible,” said the ministry in a statement.
Relations between South Korea and Japan hit their lowest in 2018 when the South Korean Supreme Court ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation to former forced laborers. 15 South Koreans won such cases but have yet to receive the compensation. Japan has maintained that compensations were already made in previous treaties.
Back in January, the South Korean government proposed a plan to compensate former forced laborers through a South Korean public foundation. The proposal came under fire from the families of the victims as it did not include contributions from Japanese companies, including firms ordered by the South Korean court to pay reparations.
Japan’s Kyodo news outlet reported that Japanese companies would be allowed to contribute to the foundation on a voluntary basis, and both Tokyo and Seoul are hoping for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to visit Japan this month.
On Monday, South Korea said its companies would compensate victims of forced labor, and while Tokyo welcomed the proposal, some of the victims and lawmakers of the opposition party accused the government of yielding to Japan.
A Japanese government source close to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Reuters that the United States had been pressing for reconciliation, but the main driving factor of Yoon’s push for reconciliation was the threat posed by North Korea.
Washington said the announcement by Seoul was “groundbreaking.”
