By Do Je-hae
President Park Geun-hye urged Japanese Prime Shinzo Abe to sincerely apologize for his country’s wartime atrocities and colonization of Korea during a meeting with her senior secretaries Monday.
Abe will issue a statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II, which led to Korea's liberation from Japan's 35-year rule of the Korean Peninsula.
“In a few days, Korea will mark the 70th anniversary of independence from Japanese rule,” Park said. “I hope that Japan will display sincerity in its commitment to renew relations with its neighbors, including Korea.”
Abe has been criticized for backpedalling on his government's position on war crimes. Though former Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono and former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama have admitted to Japan's belligerent past in their statements in the 1990s, it remains unclear whether Abe will follow on from them.
“On the meaningful occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II, I urge the Japanese government to explicitly uphold the perception of history of held by past governments.”
Her remark is seen as a warning to Japan that if the Abe statement falls short of Korea's expectations, it could hurt relations between the countries that were victimized by Japan.
Park also paid tribute to a former victim of Japan's sexual slavery who died over the weekend.
The issue of compensation for the so-called comfort women has been a major impediment to bilateral relations.