President Park Geun-hye urged Japan Wednesday to look squarely at history and resolve grievances stemming from the country’s colonial rule of Korea, saying “regressive” remarks and actions regarding history by some Japanese politicians keep feeding tensions between the two countries.
“It is regrettable that the tense situation between South Korea and Japan continues because of regressive words and deeds on history by some Japanese politicians,” Park said during a meeting with members of Mindan, the association of pro-Seoul Korean residents in Japan.
“I hope Japanese political leaders will correctly face up to history and demonstrate courageous leadership of healing the wounds of our people so that relations between South Korea and Japan can move toward future-oriented ones of co-prosperity and cooperation,” she said.
Park also denounced anti-Korean acts by some right-wing Japanese groups as “unjustifiable,” saying Seoul has been speaking to Japan about the seriousness of such acts while urging Tokyo to resolve the problem.
Relations between South Korea and Japan were strained even before Park took office in February, and have since soured further due to Japan’s repeated claims to South Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo and its unrepentant attitude about its sexual enslavement of Korean women during the 1910-45 colonial rule.
Park has shunned a summit with Japan, visiting China in June on her second overseas trip as president after the first trip to the United States a month earlier. Her predecessors have usually visited Japan ahead of China. Some have even doubted whether a summit with Japan will be able to take place before the end of the year. (Yonhap News)
