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South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha answers a question during an end-of-the-year briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in the Jongno District of Seoul on Dec. 26

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha declared on Jan. 4 that “anything is possible” in connection with a Dec. 2015 agreement between the South Korean and Japanese governments on the military comfort women issue – including Seoul abandoning its terms. But Kang also said a decision would “have to be made after sufficient consideration of the outcome.”

Appearing on the CBS radio program “Kim Hyeon-jeong’s News Show” on the morning of Jan. 4, Kang noted that Japan was “currently adhering firmly to the position” that the agreement reached on Dec. 28, 2015, cannot be renegotiated.

“The job of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to figure out how to get past this difficult problem with Japan,” she said.

The ministry is currently pursuing follow-up measures after the Dec. 27 issuance of a report by a Task Force examining the agreement, with President Moon Jae-in declaring the agreement “severely flawed.” As a first step, it has stated plans to meet with comfort women survivors and groups including the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Jeongdaehyeop) to hear sufficient opinions.

“The biggest flaw [with the Dec. 2015 agreement] was the lack of communication with the survivors themselves and the groups working on their behalf,” Kang said in the interview.

“In terms of revising the government’s position, we first need very focused communication with survivor family member groups, which we are currently scheduling,” she said, adding that the ministry was “trying to meet in person to the extent that it is possible to do so.” Kang also said that Moon was scheduled to attend a Blue House luncheon the same day where survivors and group members were invited to attend.

Kang further remarked on recent rapid progress in inter-Korean relations, saying that Seoul “anticipates provocations, but has always predicted that there would be some opportunity to proceed toward dialogue.”

“This is not at all unexpected,” she said.

“As [North Korea] has responded favorably to our message that inter-Korean communication is necessary, we certainly welcome this,” she added.

On the possibility of North Korea participating in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Kang said, “We first need to sit down and start talking before there is concrete progress.”

On cooperation with the US in discussions with North Korea, Kang said South Korea “is holding close discussions with the US at various levels on all issues,” adding that Washington shares Seoul’s position on North Korea’s participation in the Olympics.

Kang also said the US “seems to fully understand” about the issues of humanitarian aid to North Korea and reunions among divided family members. In terms of economic cooperation, she said, “There are going to need to be discussions going ahead in terms of what is and is not possible under the framework [of sanctions by the UN Secretary Council and the US].”

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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