PM Kishida to South Korea's Moon: Japan wants 'appropriate' response on wartime compensation

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan October 14, 2021. Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's new prime minister Fumio Kishida told reporters on Friday that he had spoken with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and told him that Japan wanted an "appropriate" response on disputes including compensation for forced wartime labour.

The neighbouring nations have long been at odds over territorial claims and their wartime history, including compensation for Koreans forced to work in Japanese firms and military brothels during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.