BACKLASH ENSUES OVER HISTORY DISTORTION

[Anchor Lead]

In relation to Japan's distortion of history in textbooks, the South Korean government is facing criticism for being blindsided after proposing a compensation plan for the issue of Japan's wartime forced labor victims. The opposition party has submitted a request for a parliamentary investigation into the government's forced labor solution and the South Korea-Japan summit.

[Pkg]

Participants of the Wednesday rallies demanding a solution to the issue of wartime sexual slavery by the Japanese military lambasted the Japanese government for intensifying distortion of history.

[Soundbite] "The country guilty of war crimes must admit to its past wrongdoings!"

The protesters also blasted the Korean government for waiting on Japan's voluntary reciprocity to the wartime forced labor compensation plan.

[Soundbite] Han Kyung-hee(The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance) : "The Japanese govt is continuing the Abe administration policies. Why is the Yoon administration denying this and getting stabbed in the back in return?"

At a parliamentary hearing on ways to help the victims of forced labor, including women who were taken forcibly to work for Japan, some called for the enactment of a special law to counter distortion of history.

[Soundbite] Choi Bong-tae(Korean Bar Association) : "Japanese textbooks say conscriptions were not forced. If the law is passed and international exchanges begin, we will be able to teach the truth that Japanese textbooks fail to convey."

The opposition bloc, except for the Justice Party, has submitted a petition demanding a parliamentary probe into legal violations in the government's forced labor compensation plan and allegations that the issue of wartime sexual slavery was discussed at the latest Korea-Japan summit. The ruling People Power Party rebutted by saying that the Democratic Party is trying to politicize the Japanese textbook issue. With the public opinion turning worse, the government has embarked on implementing forced labor solutions in earnest. On April 1st, Foreign Minister Park Jin is set to meet with one of the forced labor victims, Lee Chun-shik, who has rejected the government's compensation plan. The foreign minister will explain the plan in person and obtain Lee's consent.