Treaty on Basic Relations between Korea and Japan

Amid fierce protests (the June 3 protests), South Korea and Japan established diplomatic relations; the treaty contained no apology or reparations for colonial rule.

Needing funds for development, the government pressed for normalization with Japan, which the US also wanted for trilateral cooperation. The 1962 Kim–Ōhira memo secretly fixed the amount of claims funds. In 1964 large protests against "humiliating diplomacy" broke out, and the government declared martial law in Seoul on 3 June.

The treaty and its agreements were signed in Tokyo on 22 June 1965. Japan agreed to provide US$300 million in grants and $200 million in loans among other funds. The treaty contained no apology or reparations for colonial rule, and questions such as redress for the "comfort women" were left open.