SEOUL: On theanniversary of Japan's World War Two surrender, South Korea's presidentyesterday urged Japan to contemplate its wartime past and offered to engage intalks to repair strained ties, while Japan pledged to never repeat the horrorsof war. Relations between Japan and South Korea are arguably at their lowestebb since they normalized ties in 1965, strained over the issue of South Koreanforced labor during World War Two and a bitter trade row.
In a speechmarking Korea's independence from Japanese rule, Moon dialed down his recentharsh rhetoric towards Japan. "We hope that Japan will play a leading roletogether in facilitating peace and prosperity in East Asia while itcontemplates a past that brought misfortune to its neighboring countries,"said Moon.
"Better latethan never: if Japan chooses the path of dialogue and cooperation, we willgladly join hands." Moon's emphasis on talks was a departure from thestringent tone in which he said South Korea "will never be defeated againby Japan". Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday sent a ritualmonetary offering to the controversial Yasukuni shrine for war dead in Tokyo.He did not visit in person, an act which would have sparked a heated reactionfrom Seoul.
Seoul's foreignministry expressed "deep concerns" over Abe sending the offering to ashrine that "beautifies Japan's colonial pillage and aggressive war".Bitter memories of Japan's 1910-45 colonization of Korea have long hauntedties. At a ceremony honoring war dead, Abe said Japan had engraved the"lessons of history deep in our hearts", and pledged never to repeatits devastation. "To create a peaceful new era full of hope, we will spareno effort in working with the international community."
Diplomacy back ontrack?
Relationsdeteriorated after South Korea's Supreme Court last year ordered Japanesecompanies to compensate some wartime forced laborers. Tokyo says the matter wassettled by a 1965 treaty normalizing ties. The chill deepened when Japan endedSouth Korea's fast-track trade status this month, prompting Seoul to followsuit. Tokyo has cited security concerns for its tightening of export controls,which South Korea called retaliation over the forced labor feud. Strained tiesbetween the two key US allies have worried Washington, which fears weakenedsecurity cooperation in the face of North Korea's threat and China's rise.
Japanese andSouth Korean vice foreign ministers reportedly plan to meet this week in Guamto discuss the issue. Leif-Eric Easley, who teaches international relations atEwha University in Seoul, said Moon's speech was meant to "leave the dooropen for diplomacy". "Recent escalation demonstrated a lack ofappreciation for the economic interests at stake, for the other side's domesticpolitics, and for the severe regional security situation," he said.
'Bitter andfurious'
In downtownSeoul, thousands of South Koreans in raincoats, including some victims offorced labor, staged a massive rally, marching toward the Japanese embassy andchanting "Fight!" and "Compensate!" Holding a banner saying"No Abe, No Mitsubishi," Yang Geum-deuk, 90, said she was givenbarely any food and often beaten by Japanese authorities for not quickly usingthe bathroom while at Mitsubishi.
"We Koreanswere treated as animals," Yang said. "But we're strong now ... and mywish is to hear a word of apology from Abe, as the world knows how we sufferedin Japan." New emperor Naruhito, speaking at the same ceremony as Abe,expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's wartime past and prayed forglobal peace in remarks that echoed those of his father, Akihito.
Past visits byJapanese leaders to Yasukuni have outraged South Korea because the shrinehonors 14 Japanese convicted as war criminals. Abe has only visited once sincetaking office in 2012, but has regularly sent offerings on major occasions.Ruling party lawmaker Tomomi Inada, a former defense minister and now specialaide to Abe, made the shrine offering on behalf of the premier, whom she quotedas thanking those who gave their lives for their homeland and contributed toJapan's peace and prosperity, domestic media said.
A steady streamof visitors paid their respects at Yasukuni, while police, some in anti-riotgear, patrolled nearby. A sign on the grounds warned that activities such ashoisting flags, demonstrating or destroying property were banned. "Thepeople enshrined here fought for Japan and we have come to express ourgratitude and to show them our resolve to build a better Japan," saidYoshiko Matsuura, 71, a former ward assembly member from Tokyo visiting withother local politicians.
'One Korea'
In his LiberationDay speech, Moon laid out ambitious goals for ties with North Korea, vowing effortsfor a successful joint hosting of the 2032 Olympics and unification by 2045,which will mark the 100th anniversary of liberation. Moon called for Pyongyangand Washington to resume nuclear talks as soon as possible, which speed notonly efforts to give up nuclear weapons but business ties between theneighbors. "When economic cooperation accelerates and the peace economybegins, unification will beckon," Moon said. "I pledge to solidifythe foundation so that we can ... stand tall in the world as one Korea byachieving peace and unification by 2045."
Such goals havelong been considered distant, but the comments come at a sensitive time, amid aseries of missile tests by the North, stalled nuclear talks and a virtual haltin communications between the neighbors. "The 'One Korea' plan could soundlike a grand vision but may well end up as an empty promise without a clear,shared understanding of denuclearization to advance dialogue and concreteaction plans," said Kim Hong-kyun, a former South Korean nuclear envoy. -Reuters