S Korea urges 2 Japanese ministers to scrap Yasukuni visit

Wow, South Korea is on a roll here! First the Korean PM visits the disputed islands that have caused a political fight between the two countries. Then, an illiterate, or just plain dumb soccer players adds fuel to the fire about said islands. Now, they warn Japanese cabinet minsters not to visit Yasukuni shrine! Talk about trying to ratchet things down!

@michael--seriously, what's going on here? Regarding that soccer-player, I read that the Korean government is backing the soccer player by saying something to the effect that the sign he held up was NOT political. Seriously? Not "political"? Then what--they're saying it was "personal"? The soccer player just happened to have some affinity to these useless rocks stick up out of the water? Now this hubbub over the shrine? Is it election time in S. Korea?

it's Idiotic, really, to tell people, especially politicians, to not honor and show respect to their war dead. China, S. Korea and other nations with the same notion needs to understand that Yasukuni housed over 2 million war dead, all those who died while in the service of Japan military, dating back all the way to the Boshin War, not just the war criminals.

btw, S Korea tells Japanese Ministers not to visit a controversial site, thinking it would hurt political ties, while their "Top Dog" the president visited the disputed isles, knowing it would stir up Japan.

idiots....

Japan should tell South Korea to go take a hike and return everything that was given to them in 1965 since the Koreans don't recognize that teaty ever happened.

It's laughable. What on earth does South Korea not get about all of this? South Korea's president, as well as one of its soccer players, has been ramping up the aggression with Japan. Did they really not expect this to happen? As was said on another thread - what's wrong with these people? And hey president, what did your lot do with all the money Japan gave you?

South Korea is abusing diplomatic protocol.

Jin Matsubara went just now. He's been going there for 20 years at this particular date. No sense in stopping just because he was chosen as a minister by Noda. And in no way should he accommodate korea's request.

Just as Lee Myung-Bak can freely visit the Liancourt rocks, our ministers can go visit any shrine on Japanese soil that he or she wants.

@hatsoff: But Japan's diplomatic behavior is certainly not earning praise from its neighbors. All I see is friction and confrontation from the Nippon leadership.

i will tell you only one thing because most japanese in this board seem to have selective vision.

But if you are also refusing to budge from your point of view, doesn't that make your vision selective? Atrocities happened and apologies better late than never, no? Can't really place all this hatred on the youth that had nothing to do with it can you? At least they are happy to accept the good things that have come over from Korea.

This whole cyclical argument will never end...

The war criminals may or may not have been criminals. But what they definitely are not is war dead. It is incorrect to say "a Tokyo shrine that honors the country’s war dead, including war criminals". Not 'including', but 'AND' would be correct.

I thought he would be honored that they are there paying respects to Korean war criminals.

Korea - President Lee visits the Korean islets of Dokdo and say they should be protected from Japanese incursion Japan - Two cabinet ministers are to visit Yasukuni Shrine, a place that says WWII was "inevitable" and not only blames the U.S., but also enshrines Class A war criminals

Which one is worse? You decide.

I'm beginning to like North Korea more than the "South" these days.

It seems that even if Japan sets down a national day for apologizing to SK and all the 120 million or so Japanese kneel and bow to apologize, the K politicians will never be appeased. Playing the anti-Japan card has proved profitable at so many levels for the K governments. It is indeed very convenient for them to forget the apologies offered or simply claim that the apologies are not sincere.

Also, I wonder how many of the ordinary Koreans know about the reparations provided in 1965 and if the Korean press has actually communicated the apologies offered so far or they have simply been censored. Chances are that most Korean people have not heard of them as not letting them know such facts is another way to keep them easy to manipulate in times of need.

The 1965 reparations do not account for the comfort women because they are not even recognized as having existed by the Japanese government. Average Koreans are not asking for compensation from Japan, only the comfort women are asking for recognition/apology/compensation.

Again, Yasukuni Shrine is NOT like Arlington Cemetary. Yasukuni Shrine claims that Japan was "forced" into WWII by U.S. "aggression" and that Japan is the real "victim" of the war as it is the country in the world to have suffered atomic bombing.

Yasukuni Shrine also enshrines Korean and Taiwanese who fought on "behalf of the emperor" against the wishes of their relatives. It glorifies Japan's military aggression and colonialism.

All of this used to be on the official web site, but was recently removed.

But if you want to know for yourself:

JUST GO THERE!

The 1965 reparations do not account for the comfort women because they are not even recognized as having existed by the Japanese government.

Yes, they do.

http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/women/fund/policy.html

@rogoteye: That is a private fund. If the Japanese government feels responsibility, then why a private fund?

Yes, they do.

Well too bad Shinzo Abe just denied that sex slaves existed. Or at least according to him, they were not "coerced"...

That is a private fund. If the Japanese government feels responsibility, then why a private fund?

Because they already did back in 1965.

@rogoteye: That is a private fund. If the Japanese government feels responsibility, then why a private fund?

Because the initial funds were paid as a result of 1965 agreement. If they wanted more, it certainly shouldn't come out of taxpayers money again. Let those who sympathize with them make the contribution.

Average Koreans are not asking for compensation from Japan...

No, but by stirring their nationalisy sentiments, the politicians can get their popularity back in time they need it.

Seems like the 1965 agreement was more like, "Okay, South Korea, you need funds to build railroads and other infrastructure, so here's some money. Let's sweep this under the rug, alright? Now go away."

Keep it classy Sir_Edgar. Keep it classy...

Just an idea;

Japan agreed to give a full cherries-on-top apology, gives fair compensation to former-sex slaves, and gives Korea the lumps known as Dokdo, but asks for the 1965 normalization treaty to be nullified and all the cash and soft-loans (and all the profits which were accumulated from such funds) to be returned.

CVHuan

@hatsoff: But Japan's diplomatic behavior is certainly not earning praise from its neighbors. All I see is friction and confrontation from the Nippon leadership.

See that's the problem. The korean President visits Takeshima/Dokdo, the soccer player makes the Olympics political, the president warns the Emperor to apologize if he wants to visit Korea....and all you see is friction from japan???

When Japan paid reparations to South Korea in 1965, did they also issue an apology? If not, then how is it NOT "sweeping under the rug"?

In fact, the details of the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea were not disclosed until 2005 by the South Korean government. The Japanese government did not want the facts disclosed. It wanted a discreet agreement.

When Japan paid reparations to South Korea in 1965, did they also issue an apology?

Yes, they did.

June 22, 1965. Minister of Foreign Affairs Shiina Etsusaburo. "In our two countries' long history there have been unfortunate times, it is truly regrettable and we are deeply remorseful" (Signing of the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan#1960s

The Japanese government did not want the facts disclosed

Japanese officials had reportedly not been in favor of the South Korean government disclosing the documents because they were concerned about repercussions the disclosure of such diplomatic documents would have on bilateral normalizations talks with North Korea, who reportedly wants more than $10 billion as compensation for its share.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_Basic_Relations_between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea

Seems like the 1965 agreement was more like, "Okay, South Korea, you need funds to build railroads and other infrastructure, so here's some money. Let's sweep this under the rug, alright? Now go away."

Actually it was the Japanese government who suggested individual compesation first which was rejected by the Korean counterparts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_Basic_Relations_between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea#cite_note-10