President tells Japan to own up to history

By Kim Tae-gyu

President Park Geun-hye told Japan to have a correct view of its colonial-era misdeeds and act responsibly on the 94th anniversary of the March 1, 1919, Independence Movement.

It was Park’s first major speech since her Feb. 25 inauguration. However, the president did not raise the issue of Korean sex slaves for the Japanese army during World War II, a thorny issue between the two countries.

This was despite the fact Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida renewed Tokyo’s claim to Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo, Thursday.

“The historic dynamic of one party being a perpetrator and the other party a victim will remain unchanged even after 1,000 years have passed. It is incumbent on Japan to have a correct understanding of history, and take on an attitude of responsibility in order to partner with us in playing a leading role in Northeast Asia in the 21st century,” Park said.

“Only then will we be able to build rock-solid trust between our two nations, which will in turn enable reconciliation and collaboration in a genuine sense.”

She asked the two countries to deal with the traumatic wounds that still linger due to Japan’s brutal colonial rule between 1910 and 1945.

“We must not place the heavy burden of the past on the future generations of our two nations. It is high time for the political leaders of both countries to demonstrate their determination and courage,” she said.

“In order to heal the wounds of the past as soon as possible and march together toward a future of shared progress, it is necessary for the Japanese government to change unreservedly and behave in a responsible manner.”

On North Korea, Park stuck to her call for trust building.

“My aim is to build trust on the Korean Peninsula rooted in robust national security measures for the purpose of laying the foundation for peaceful unification,” she said. “To achieve this end, it is critical that North Korea makes the right choices. North Korea must realize that nothing will be gained from nuclear development or provocations save for greater isolation and hardship.

“While provocations by the North will be met by stronger counter-responses, the North’s willingness to make the right choice and walk the path of change will be answered with more flexible engagement.”

She also urged the North to hasten efforts to normalize inter-Korean relations.

Paying her respects to Koreans who participated in the Independence Movement against the harsh crackdown of imperialist Japan, Park promised that she will further develop the country.

Around 2 million Koreans are estimated to have taken part in the nationwide uprising, the earliest major display of Korean resistance toward the Japanese occupation, and faced attacks by the Japanese police and army.

Japan’s official data states about 500 were killed but according to Korean statistics, the number was more than 7,500.