日韓慰安婦協議對東亞有何影響
Japan and South Korea have agreed to settle the issue of wartime “comfort women” in a landmark deal that could transform ties between the neighbours and reshape the diplomatic map of East Asia.
日和韓國已就解決戰時“慰安婦”問題達成協議，這一里程碑式的協議可能會徹底改變這兩個鄰國之間的關係、重塑東亞外交版圖。
Under the accord, Japan will pay $8.3m into a fund for surviving victims, based on “painful awareness” of its responsibilities for the system of forced prostitution during the second world war. The deal promises a “final and irrevocable” settlement to an issue that has scarred relations between the two main US allies in East Asia and provided an effective diplomatic tool to China.
根據協議，日本將向一支爲依然健在的受害者設立的基金出資830萬美元，理由是日方“痛苦地意識到”要爲二戰期間的強制賣淫制度負責。這一協議有可能“最終且不可逆轉地”解決慰安婦問題。該問題爲美國在東亞的兩個主要盟友之間的關係留下了傷痕，併爲中國提供了一個有效的外交工具。
What are the regional implications?
這份協議會給該地區帶來哪些影響？
Analysts say the deal could have a negative impact on Seoul’s relationship with Beijing, which has been strengthened by the visit by Park Geun-hye, South Korean president, to Beijing in September to attend a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war.
分析人士認爲，該協議可能會對首爾與北京的關係產生負面影響。今年9月，韓國總統朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)訪問北京，出席了紀念二戰結束70週年的閱兵式，鞏固了韓中兩國關係。
Although Seoul has attempted to balance its relationships with China and the US, Ms Park’s attendance at the parade gave the impression that Seoul was shifting more towards Beijing for economic reasons.
雖然首爾方面一直試圖平衡韓中和韓美關係，但朴槿惠出席那次閱兵儀式給人的印象是，首爾方面正由於經濟原因而更多地倒向北京方面。
Even if the deal does not last, Japan may reap diplomatic benefits in the short term from Mr Abe’s willingness to compromise, undermining China’s efforts to portray Tokyo as unrepentant for its second world war atrocities.
即使這份協議維持不下去，日本也仍可從安倍(Abe)的妥協意願中收穫短期的外交利益，削弱了中國所持的、日本政府對二戰暴行毫無悔意的論調。
What are the benefits of rapprochement between Seoul and Tokyo?
日韓和解有哪些好處？
The deal is likely to help Seoul and Tokyo overcome their political differences and enhance their security alliance against North Korea. There are high expectations for stronger bilateral intelligence-sharing on North Korea, with the comfort women issue being the biggest stumbling block to improving bilateral relations.
這份協議很可能會幫助韓日兩國政府克服政治分歧，強化它們防範朝鮮的安全同盟。人們對兩國政府就朝鮮問題加強雙邊情報交流抱有很高的期待，但慰安婦問題一直是妨礙韓日雙邊關係改善的最大絆腳石。
The two countries signed a trilateral intelligence-sharing agreement with Washington last December to better cope with North Korea’s military threats but the agreement allowed them to share intelligence via Washington only on Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes. However, the recent thawing of relations could enable Seoul to gain better access to Japanese intelligence and boost its surveillance of North Korea.
去年12月，韓日兩國與美國政府簽訂了三邊情報共享協議，以更好地應對朝鮮的軍事威脅。但該協議只是讓韓日兩國能就朝鮮核計劃與導彈計劃經由華盛頓方面分享情報。而最近韓日兩國關係的解凍，可能會讓首爾方面能夠更容易地獲取日方的情報，加強對朝鮮的監視。
Will this affect Korea’s hopes of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
這會影響韓國加入《跨太平洋夥伴關係協定》(TPP)的前景嗎？
Seoul expressed its desire to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in November 2013, when talks were already under way, and was told by Washington it would need to wait until these discussions had concluded.
韓國政府在2013年11月就表達了加入TPP談判的願望（當時相關談判已在進行當中），而華盛頓方面告訴韓國政府，需要等到相關談判完成後再討論韓國加入的問題。
A preliminary deal was reached among the 12 initial members in October, but South Korea’s entry to the trade pact will require consensus among the existing signatories — another benefit to better relations with Tokyo.
今年10月，TPP的12個初始成員國達成了初步協議，而韓國要想加入該貿易協定將需要現有的簽字國一致同意——這是與東京方面改善關係的另一個好處。
What prompted South Korea to agree to the deal?
是什麼促使韓國同意這份協議？
Seoul has been pressured by the US to improve relations with Tokyo. Better relations between the two countries are vital to Washington’s efforts to guard against China’s ascent in the region and to cope with North Korea’s increasing military threats.
首爾方面一直受到美國的壓力，要其改善與東京方面的關係。韓日關係的改善，對於美國防範中國在東亞崛起和對付朝鮮與日俱增的軍事威脅來說意義重大。
Seoul was also pressed by a lack of time as it is keen to resolve the issue while some of the former sex slaves are still alive, giving the South Korean government some leverage in negotiating with Japan.
韓國政府面臨的另一個壓力是，時間不等人。它急於在一些前慰安婦仍健在時解決該問題，這些人的存在讓它與日本談判時能佔據一些優勢。
What are the main differences between this deal and former agreements?
這份協議與之前的協議有什麼主要區別？
The agreement follows a 1993 apology by Yohei Kono, Japanese chief cabinet secretary, which was accompanied by the establishment of a compensation fund. But that apology failed to accept full state responsibility, while the compensation came from private sources, with the government contributing only administrative costs.
這份協議遵循了1993年日本內閣官房長官河野洋平(Yohei Kono)作出的道歉，當時還隨之建立了一支賠償基金。但那次道歉沒有認可慰安婦問題爲完全的國家責任，賠償金也來自民間渠道，日本政府僅負擔管理成本。
Tokyo still refuses to accept any legal liability on this subject, arguing that any such obligations related to its 35-year occupation of Korea were settled by a 1965 treaty normalising relations with Seoul in which Japan provided $800m in aid.
日本政府仍拒絕在慰安婦問題上承擔任何法律責任，辯稱任何這類與日本對朝鮮半島的35年佔領有關的責任，都已在1965年與首爾方面簽訂的日韓邦交正常化條約中得到了結。根據該條約，日本向韓國提供了8億美元援助。
Under this week’s deal, the compensation payments will be funded by the state, unlike the earlier fund. However, it will be given as humanitarian aid, rather than legal reparations.
根據本週的協議，賠償金將由日本政府提供，這與之前的民間資金不同。不過，這筆錢將以人道主義援助、而不是法律賠償名義提供。
Furthermore, the text of Japan’s apology repeated the language of the Kono statement, admitting only “the involvement of the Japanese military authorities at that time”, rather than claiming responsibility.
此外，日本此次道歉的內容重複了河野談話的措辭，只承認“當時的日本軍事當局有參與”，而沒有宣稱對此負責。
Could this cause political problems at home for Ms Park?
這會給朴槿惠在國內造成政治問題嗎？
Ms Park and her party could face a backlash in next April’s parliamentary elections. She has already been criticised for following in the footsteps of her father Park Chung-hee, the former military dictator who served as an officer in the Japanese Imperial army. He signed the 1965 treaty by which South Korea normalised relations with Japan and renounced legal claims against the former colonial ruler.
朴槿惠和她所在的政黨在明年4月的議會選舉中可能會面臨強烈反對。她已然因追隨其父朴正熙(Park Chung-hee)的腳步而遭到了批評。朴正熙是一名軍事獨裁者，曾任日本帝國陸軍軍官，正是他簽署了1965年韓日邦交正常化條約，同意放棄對前殖民統治者日本的法律賠償要求。
But the political setback is unlikely to be fatal because the ruling party, which holds a majority in parliament, still enjoys high approval ratings while the main opposition party has been gripped by political infighting. Ms Park is barred by law from seeking another term in the next presidential election in 2017.
不過，這一政治挫折不太可能造成致命後果，因爲眼下在韓國議會中佔據多數席位的執政黨仍享有很高的支持率，而主要反對黨一直被政治內鬥纏身。依照韓國法律，朴槿惠不能在2017年舉行的下屆總統選舉中尋求連任。
