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Thu, May 26, 2022 | 02:03
Park's sister draws fire for pro-Japan remarks
박근령 "日에 '과거사사과' 자꾸 이야기하는 것 부당"
Posted : 2015-07-31 16:56
Updated : 2015-07-31 20:38
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By Yi Whan-woo

Park Geun-ryeong
Park Geun-ryeong
President Park Geun-hye's younger sister Geun-ryeong is disrupting the President's efforts to seek an apology from Japan over its wartime atrocities.

Geun-ryeong, 61, stirred up controversy over her pro-Japan remarks on Thursday when she said Seoul's repeated demands for Tokyo to apologize for the Japanese colonial rule were "inappropriate."

Her remarks came during an interview with Niconico, a Japanese video-sharing website that is popular among conservative Japanese. The interview footage will be released on the website on Aug. 4.

Geun-ryeong, who serves on the board of directors at a high school in Busan, added fuel to the dispute later on Thursday when she said, "being stricken with a victim mentality will not be good for the country's sake.

"Japan laid the groundwork for our country's economic development," Geun-ryeong told reporters upon her arrival from Tokyo. "And we ask Japan to apologize whenever Tokyo has a new prime minister, although its emperor bowed his head and offered an apology repeatedly."

Geun-ryeong said the repeated visits of the Japanese officials, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to the Yasukuni Shrine are acts of "respect for their ancestors."

The site is to honor the war dead, including convicted Class-A war criminals during WWII. Korea has considered the site ground zero for Japan's unrepentant wartime remembrance.

"Just because one's ancestors did something wrong some 100 years ago, it does not mean their descendents just ignore and not honor them," Geun-ryeong said. "It would be sin against heaven, especially in Asia."

Both ruling and opposition parties criticized Geun-ryeong, saying her remarks were "nonsense."

"I wonder whether she speaks for the Japanese government," said Lee Un-ju, a floor spokeswoman of the main opposition New Politics Alliance (NPAD). "Her remarks show she is totally ignorant in understanding the Korean people's historical wounds."

"It was not appropriate for a public figure such as Geun-ryeong to make such controversial remarks," a ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker said on condition of anonymity.

Shin Yul, a political professor at Myongji University, said the 63-year-old President should draw a line between her and her sister to avoid a possible political setback.

The President will return to office on Monday after her summer vacation this week.

"The President has not had a close relationship with Geun-ryeong for years. Regardless, she needs to make sure she is not responsible for causing a dispute," Shin said. "Otherwise, the media, especially in Japan, will continue to fuel the controversy."

Geun-ryeong also said it is Korea's responsibility to take care of the surviving victims of Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.

Wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women has been a major stumbling block in mending Korea-Japan relations, which have reached their lowest level under the Park administration.

Seoul has made clear Japan's apology over such crimes will be a pre-condition for a possible summit between the President and conservative Japanese Prime Minister Abe.


박근령 "日에 '과거사사과' 자꾸 이야기하는 것 부당"

'일 천황이 사과했는데 왜 총리 바뀔 때마다 사과하라 하나'
'신사참배 관여는 내정간섭…대일피해의식 국익에 도움안돼'

박근혜 대통령의 동생인 근령 씨는 30일 '일본의 신사 참배는 후손이 조상을 찾아가는 것인데, 100년 전 조상이 잘못한 일이 있다고 조상이라고 부르지도 않고 참배도 하지 않겠다는 것은 패륜'이라며 '한국이 관여하려는 것은 내정간섭'이라고 주장했다.

근령 씨는 이날 김포공항에서 기자들과 만나 일본 방문 중 포털사이트 '니코니코'와 가진 특별대담이 논란을 빚은데 대해 이같이 말했다.

그는 한국에서 식민지배 등 과거사에 대해 일본 정부의 사과를 요구하는 데 대해서도 '전두환 전 대통령이 일본을 방문했을 때 총리보다 훨씬 중요한 천황이 머리를 숙여 사과했는데 왜 총리가 바뀔 때마다 사과하라고 하느냐'고 반문하고 '일본이 제철소도 지어주고 우리나라 경제 발전의 모태가 될 일들을 많이 해줬는데 피해 의식만 갖고 산다면 국익에 도움이 안 된다'고 밝혔다.

나아가 '군 위안부 할머니 등 고통받은 분들은 우리 국민이 국가 내에서 잘 보살펴 드려야 할 것'이라고 덧붙였다.

근령 씨는 '한일 국교는 이미 정상화가 됐고, '일본은 우리가 동북아 평화를 이루기 위해 가깝게 지내야 할 이웃사촌'이라며 '해방 전 친일과 해방 후 친일은 개념이 다르다'고 지적했다.

그는 '식민지 상황이 비정상적이었다면 식민지에서 벗어나 정상화가 됐는데 자꾸 과거 문제를 내세운다면 비정상적이었던 시절로 돌아가는 것'이라며 '아시아가 정신문화를 일으키는 모태가 돼야 하는데 일본 덕분에 물질이 풍요해졌으니 이제 정신을 풍요롭게 해 아시아가 인류 역사의 주인공으로 거듭나야 할 것'이라고 말했다.

아울러 '북한은 우리에게 여전히 위협인데, 한일이 가까울 때 가장 화날 사람은 북한일 것'이라며 '우리는 친미해야지 친북하면 안 된다'고도 했다.

이에 앞서 근령 씨는 니코니코와의 대담에서 일본의 과거사를 놓고 사과를 계속 요구하는 것은 부당하며, 신사참배에 개입하는 것은 내정간섭이라는 취지의 언급을 해 논란이 일었다.

니코니코와의 인터뷰는 다음 달 4일밤 10시에 방영될 것으로 알려졌다. (연합뉴스)
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