FM urges Japan to face up to history

By Kang Seung-woo

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Sunday that Japan would see its reputation damaged unless its prime minister faces unresolved historical issues squarely with Korea and other nations in his upcoming landmark addresses.

“Japan’s perception of history is not just the Korean government’s issue and there is a consensus in the international community that Japan, as the German leaders did in the past, should take a clear stance on history,“ Yun said in a television interview.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to address the U.S. Congress on April 29 and issue a statement in August to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

“Japan should take advantage of the opportunity to prove it has changed and has a truthful perception of history,“ Yun said.

The minister added that Japan should show its new outlook and that of its leader to Korea and the rest of the world, which will enable Tokyo to promote its contribution to Asia and the world.

Since Abe took office in December 2012, the hawkish prime minister and his Cabinet have attempted to water down Japan’s wartime atrocities, including its sexual enslavement of Korean women, and colonial occupation against Korea, China and other Asian countries. Japan ruled Korea from 1910 to 1945 and also controlled much of China in the early part of the 20th century.

The issue of “comfort women,“ who were forced to work as prostitutes in brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II, has been the main impediment to an improvement in relations between Seoul and Tokyo in the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Yun’s remarks came after Abe’s interview with the Washington Post that showed his continued ambiguity over the issue.

“On the question of comfort women, when my thought goes to these people, who have been victimized by human trafficking and gone through immeasurable pain and suffering beyond description, my heart aches,“ Abe said in the interview, released on Friday,

Seoul’s foreign ministry criticized Abe’s remarks, saying that Abe is trying to impute its wartime atrocity to civilians and avoid the government’s responsibility for the forced sexual enslavement.

Since her inauguration in February 2013, President Park Geun-hye has not held a summit with Abe due to the issue, demanding a sincere apology from the Japanese government amid growing calls for improvement in the bilateral ties.

However, Yun said there is no change in the government’s stance for a summit.

“I think the Japanese government knows the conditions for a summit and can make proper proposals at an important juncture,“ Yun said.

He added that the government is using various channels to make progress in pending issues, including historical disputes.