S Korea favors visit by emperor before he abdicates, if conditions ripe

I'll be willing to bet that THIS Emperor would love the opportunity to go and visit South Korea! His father,that's a different story. I sincerely hope it happens!

Would also love to hear him make an off the cuff speech about his feelings on the colonization and sex-slave issues, if HE made a sincere and open apology, I'll bet the Korean people and government would accept it.

But then odds are he could never come home!

"In Japan's long history of involvement in Korea, it is regrettable that some were caused hardship. We look to move beyond these things that hinder our cooperation and form a stronger relationship to our mutual benefit."

Wanna bet that's as much as he could get away with?

Long overdue but sadly never gonna happen!!

We look to move beyond these things that hinder our cooperation and form a stronger relationship to our mutual benefit."

Oh? Without any true contrition ala the german model? I truly can't fathom how these people don't grasp the notion of no strings attached acts of contrition. SMH!!!

Honestly, I think the Emperor has a more sympathetic stance on the Comfort women issue than the japanese government!

The Japanese Emperor is more opportunistic rather than negatively conservative! We need people like Akihito!:) Akihito can rebuild the trust Japan lost during the reign of Showa.

I'm sure the Emperor himself would cherish the opportunity. The IHA would never allow it, sadly.

Is it Emperor's visit the Koreans want? Or they are just fantasizing that he must say what they want to hear?

Strikebreaker555Today :JSTHonestly, I think the Emperor has a more sympathetic stance on the Comfort women issue than the japanese government!

Exactly, and Korean goverment is trying to USE Emperor having him visit friendly,and get further apology or comments that can be used politically.

But the situation is worse than ever.

Just a couple days ago, Korean brave Professor Park Yuha, got guilty at Korean court because of her book ,truth about comfort women, where lots of historical evidence and materials showing in fact many comfort women were making lot of money for sex or some deceived not by Japanese but Korean local recrcruiter.

http://scholarsinenglish.blogspot.jp/2014/10/summary-of-professor-park-yuhas-book.html

I would be careful about this. I get the feeling the SK government might try and ambush the Emperor with questions like these and nudge him into making some form of apology or whatever or try to humiliate him if he doesn't.

A visit would be great for relations, but am not sure SK is ready

If he does visit SK he should stay away from the whole sex slaves issue.

I don't think the south Koreans or their government will let go that comfort women issue easily!  You know how 'Park' end up in jail was just  a pretext and what actually lead her in disgrace!

He should apologize, insult abes constitution article 9 change and step down with the total dignity he deserves

after all the hoopla that they will step on the neck of the emperor and force him to kiss the ground to make atonement? They seem to forget that the reason Japan have started ignoring SK was because of this issue. Nice try Dheads

Oh yes! All nice pleasantries from SK at the start here, but do we  really expect, if this trip comes off, (which it more than likely wont), it to be a peaceful and incident free visit? Sounds like a trap to me! Protests will be planned and executed along the entire route and Akhito will be unable to escape those comfort women statues and slogan plastered placards!

This is nothing more than opportunism from SK who, I suspect, fear, that with the impending abdication, their last hope of a proper link to the errors of the Showa era will be lost to history. If they were serious about re-proachment and drawing a line under the issue they should stick to the terms both sides agreed to a few years ago! This constant bickering and political point scoring has to stop soon!

I just hope he isn't to be used as a pawn.

SK should welcome the Emperor's visit anytime.

Seoul should not poison such a noble gesture by attaching any political play nor throw any historical stones .

I bet any country including China or Taiwan would jump into such an opportunity for the sake of humanity and world harmony.

S Korea has a new plan to entail Emperor because He is ignorant of comfort woman.

The Emperor supposedly has some Korean blood in him. Having said that, even if he went to SK, bowed down and apologized, it would never be seen as being sincere by the South Koreans. Sad but true.

Should not happen. South Korea, the government, has no handle on the Chong Dae Hyup and it's Comfort Women crusade even to the point of disrupting and forcing backpedaling on a Government to Government Agreement. This Emperor, who has done nothing but try to improve relations with all countries that suffered under his father's rule during his reign and before, will be used in the worst way to smear Japan possibly irreversibly for centuries. Let the man be and abdicate in peace. He's had to carry a heavy burden his whole life.

Emperor waged to retire quite. a while ago. Japanese gov't prolonged too long. Let them rest. Current S Korean gov't. has been enjjailing too many dignitaries including scholars... This suggestion, a ppln to arrest Emperor and Empress?