Does South Korean President Moon Jae In seriously think his one-sided criticism of Japan, based on a self-righteous view of history, will lead to the building of a future-oriented relationship? The anti-Japan assertions of his left-wing administration cannot help but raise concerns.
Moon delivered a speech at an annual ceremony commemorating the March 1 Independence Movement. It was symbolic that the ceremony was held for the first time at a former prison in Seoul where independence activists were incarcerated while the Korean Peninsula was a colony of Japan.
Moon's remarks on the comfort women issue were astonishing. He insisted that "the Japanese government, the perpetrator, should not say the matter is closed."
No historical documents have ever been found that prove comfort women were forcibly taken away by the former Japanese military and administrative authorities. While it is certainly true the circumstances of the comfort women were tragic, it is a distortion to consider the issue as some sort of war crime.
After many years of twists and turns, the Japanese and South Korean governments confirmed in an agreement reached at the end of 2015 that the comfort women issue was "finally and irreversibly resolved."
This is an important promise made between both countries, so the Japanese government was quite right to lodge a protest against Moon's comments. As Moon has said he will not demand "special treatment from Japan," he should explicitly state this issue has been diplomatically settled.
Beware of joint campaign
Regarding the Takeshima islets of Shimane Prefecture, which South Korea is illegally occupying, Moon asserted South Korea has sovereignty over the islets, saying it "is our land that was occupied through coercion by Japan." He went on to insist, "Japan's current denial of this fact is no different from rejecting self-reflection of the imperialistic invasion."
In 1905, Japan incorporated Takeshima into Shimane Prefecture after going through a legal process. In 1952, South Korea unilaterally established the Syngman Rhee Line. It later pressed ahead with the stationing of security personnel on the islets. Moon's claims, which ignore how this unfolded, are unacceptable.
As for South Korea's liberation from colonial rule, Moon said, "The intensity of our forefathers' fight for independence was unparalleled in the world." He boasted that liberation "was not given simply from the outside." This flies in the face of the historical fact that Japan's defeat in World War II led to the Korean Peninsula's independence.
Just trumpeting a smug view of history and demanding Japan "reflect" on its actions cannot build a constructive relationship.
When Moon's speech turned to North Korea, he stopped at setting a goal of creating a "peace community … on the Korean Peninsula for the years to come." Although the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opened the door to dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang, conservative elements in South Korea are stepping up their opposition to the Moon administration's conciliatory stance.
Moon's speech, which consisted of praise for the independence movement and criticism of Japan from start to finish, seemingly was intended to patch up divisions in domestic public opinion. Vigilance against the launch of an anti-Japan campaign conducted jointly by both South Korea and North Korea is necessary.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 2, 2018)
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