Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

• Information security
• The ROK's high court ruling regarding compensation payments for forced wartime labour

REPORTER: It has emerged that internal information of government ministries and agencies was accessible to anyone through a free-of-charge service provided by Google Inc. Could you tell us what the Government knows with regard to the facts of this matter, including how many ministries and agencies it affected?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: First of all, according to the Ministry of the Environment, e-mail correspondence from January this year between a ministry official participating in the negotiations for Minamata Convention on Mercury and another official who remained behind in Japan were able to be viewed publicly on the internet. This is something that has been widely reported in the newspapers and is clearly in contravention of the ministry's information security policy. This online correspondence failed to uphold the most basic of rules and therefore is embarrassing in the extreme, is without justification and extremely regrettable. In response to this incident I have spoken with the Minister of the Environment and it is the case that a response headquarters will be established within the ministry to engage in thorough measures to ensure nothing similar ever happens again. I also issued a strong request to the minister to swiftly take all appropriate measures to identify the facts behind the incident and ensure there is no reoccurrence. I have also sought confirmation about the situation at other related ministries and agencies and have received reports that although there were no other cases involving correspondence from international conferences like at the Ministry of the Environment, there were some cases that were slightly similar in nature. I have therefore issued instructions to all government ministries and agencies to engage swiftly in investigations to ascertain whether or not similar incidents have occurred and have expressed my intention to hold a countermeasures meeting, headed by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Sugita and comprising the most senior information security-related officials from all ministries and agencies, in order to engage in thorough countermeasures to prevent any reoccurrence.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: A high court in the Republic of Korea (ROK) has issued a ruling that orders Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation to make compensation payments for forced labor. This is the first ruling by a high court in the ROK ordering a Japanese company to make compensation payments relating to post-war reparations. Given the existence of the Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of Korea Concerning the Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims and Economic Cooperation and other similar agreements, I believe that the stance of the Government of Japan is different to the ruling that has been handed down today. Does the Government intend to make any sort of approach to the Government of the ROK concerning this issue?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I am aware of the press reports concerning this ruling and as its content is currently being analyzed I would like to refrain from making any detailed comment on behalf of the Government at this point. However, what I would say is that the issue of property and claims between Japan and the ROK is one on which the Government has expressed a consistent stance. Our stance is that under the provisions of the Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of Korea Concerning the Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims and Economic Cooperation all such claims have been completely and conclusively settled. If the ruling is at variance with the stance of the Government of Japan it would be something that we would not be able to accept. Therefore, while cooperating with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, we will continue to make an appropriate response to the issue of property and claims between Japan and the ROK, based on the Government's consistent stance.

REPORTER: I believe that the court order today stems from a ruling issued by the Supreme Court of the ROK in May last year, which stated that the agreement you have just mentioned did not invalidate the individual rights of the plaintiffs to make claims. Given this background does the Government intend to take the issue up with the Government of the ROK?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Following the ruling in May last year, when the Supreme Court of the ROK reversed previous rulings, the Government issued a notification to the Government of the ROK through diplomatic channels, stating that the Government's consistent stance is that the issue of property and claims between Japan and the ROK was completely and conclusively settled under the provisions of the Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of Korea Concerning the Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims and Economic Cooperation.

REPORTER: What impact do you think that the ruling today will have on Japan-ROK relations, given that a summit meeting has yet to be held?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Japan's position on this issue is clear and therefore the Government will make every effort to emphasize this position to the ROK through diplomatic channels.

(Abridged)