WASHINGTON, March 6, 2023 (AFP) – US top diplomat Antony Blinken on Sunday applauded plans announced by South Korea to compensate victims of Japan’s forced wartime labor, as Seoul looks to forge closer ties with Tokyo.

South Korea and Japan are “two of the United States’ most important allies, and we are inspired by the work they have done to advance their bilateral relations,” the Secretary of State said in a statement.