Assembly speaker calls on Japan to face up to 'painful history' of wartime aggression
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, right, shakes hands with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima at his office in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on Monday called on the Japanese government to squarely face the "painful history" of its World War II crimes, including diplomatic tensions over forced wartime labor surrounding a mine complex on Japan's Sado Island.
Woo made the remarks at a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima earlier in the day, highlighting pending wartime issues between Seoul and Tokyo, including the controversy surrounding the Sado mine and the recovery of remains from the Chosei undersea coal mine in Japan's western Yamaguchi Prefecture, where a devastating flood in 1942 killed 136 Koreans who had been forcibly mobilized.
"To further develop Korea-Japan relations in a future-oriented manner, (Japan) must face up to the painful history between the two nations, strengthen economic cooperation and work together for peace as partners in Northeast Asia and on the Korean Peninsula," Woo told Mizushima, according to Woo's office.
Woo urged Japan's cooperation in conducting DNA analysis of the remains found at the site and to consider government-level support to ensure safety in undersea recovery efforts.
The Sado mines, once famous as a gold mine between the 17th and 19th centuries, was mainly used to produce war supplies for the Japanese imperial army during World War II. More than 1,500 Koreans are reported to have been forced into labor at the mines from 1940-45.
Woo called on Japan to take a forward-looking approach on such issues, saying Japan's sincerity will be deeply welcomed by the Korean public and contribute to strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries.
In response, Mizushima stressed that Korea and Japan are "important partners" that must cooperate on various global challenges.
He agreed on the importance of building a forward-looking relationship and expressed hope for continued dialogue across a wide range of issues, saying Seoul and Tokyo have "never communicated this closely."