South Korea's Yoon renews hopes for improved ties with Japan

Lee Hyun Jin, a 43-year-old housewife, said. "I hope the Japanese government would reflect on its past (colonial wrongdoing) a bit and cooperate with us to move forward."

She says pushing South Korea backward. But then she has been ingrained with the SK anti-JPN education system. Japan has helped SK develop post war immensely, from Mitsubishi Motors helping Hyundai build car engines to Kawasaki Heavy Industries helping Hyundai's shipbuilding. But most SKoreans are unaware of facts like these. On a diplomatic level, Japan has accommodated everything SK has demanded, and they have never gone back on their word since the 1965 Treaty was signed. But it has been South Korea that has consistently moved the goal posts, demanded apologies only to reject them after received, and ripping up a "Permanent and Irreversible" Agreement signed by both nations.

This is the massive uphill struggle that President Yoon faces, much of it created by his Anti-JPN Pro-NK predecessor Moon, who also succeeded in destroying US policy towards NK in place since the Korean War ended. Today we are facing a global polycrisis, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and standoff with the West, China's tightening relationship with Russia and their continued threat to invade Taiwan. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that King Jong Un would take advantage of any open conflict to fulfill his grandfather's goal of unifying the Korean Penninsula under the Kim regime's rule.

South Koreans by all means should commemorate the date of the 1919 uprising as day of pride in themselves, not as a day of vilification or victimhood.

Imagine in India and other Asian countries had the same attitude towards Europe/USA/Canada etc...?

Imagine in India and other Asian countries had the same attitude towards Europe/USA/Canada etc...?

That's a fair comment, but unlike Japan, those countries you mentioned, despite their faults, at least added something to the 'other Asian countries'.

Japan brought only genocide unfortunately, and never apologised with any sincereity.

Still, how many times do we need to hear Korean leaders say such things? It's boring. Nothing will change with right wing fossils in charge of both Korea and Japan.

ZiziToday  05:48 pm JST

Japan brought only genocide unfortunately, and never apologised with any sincereity.

Same old garbage. The International Tribunal forthe Far East recorded no charges of "Genocide".g

Japan has apologized countless times. Last one was a Prime Ministerial Apology issued by Abe Shinzo. This demanding an apology, gettig it, then negating it by calling it "insincere" is both old and childish.

The only "insincerity" I've seen is South Korea signing a "Permanent and Irreversible" Agreement with Japan then promptly rip it

The International Tribunal forthe Far East recorded no charges of "Genocide".g

We all now the story. MacArthur gave immunity to Shiro Ishii and all members of the bacteriological research units in exchange for germ warfare data based on human experimentation.

America dropped nuclear bombs and firebombed most major of Japan.

But Japan moved on and doesn’t bring it up on a daily basis.

A 43 year old Korean household still hung up on it. It was over before her parents were even born, give me a break.

Don't "hope", just "do it". Japan has been waiting on ya'll since forever. lol

Grudge confines people in the past and can even make us unable to interpret today's requirements incorrectly. Healing can only come when we find courage to understand history with a sense of noble resignation. We cannot grow otherwise. Here, I believe, what's true for individuals is equally true for societies.

This is exactly like in 2015 under Park Geun Hye. We did this before.

She also said similar things as Yoon did. A few sweet words towards Japan, without giving in on new demands for apologies and compensation! Same old Korean tricks played before! Recycled and tried again in 2023.

At the very best this will be short lived like before. This will fuel the Korean fire, Korean victim mentality to demand new things, think of new ways to complain and ask for more!

If JAPAN says Dokdo/Takeshima belong to Japan? Deal off! Not sincere!

If a Japanese working for the government visits the Yasukuni Shrine, deal off, Korean emotions demands new apology, new money.

Why doesn't South Korea hate Russia?? Russia responsible for Dividing Korea in Half!.......Russians won't allow it! Won't play stupid Squid Games with Korea.

Why doesn't South Korea hate China??

China helped North Korea in Korean War, South Korea could be 1 country if China did not help North Korea...China won't allow it! Won't play Squid Games on Korean terms.

South Korea will never stop! Unless Japan refuses to play this stupid Squid Games in the first place!

Supreme Court is a Korean Isssue. Korea is responsible for that outcome! Moon gave them approval to start the anti-Japan hate, let them fix this themselves! Stop giving to Korean demands!! This will never end if you ask the Korean to decide!!

Very good news!

Also Wednesday, dozens of South Koreans rallied near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, tearing down a banner with the image of the Japanese "rising sun" flag. They demanded the Yoon government stop negotiations with Japan over forced laborers.

The Japanese fascist regime back then was a bunch of war criminal scumpots and they paid the penalties for their abuses against the Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese and other people. Yet BION here in America there are still some Japanohones with that 'Pearl Harbor' excuse for their hatred.

Ercan ArisoyMar. 1  10:27 pm JST

Grudge confines people in the past and can even make us unable to interpret today's requirements incorrectly. Healing can only come when we find courage to understand history with a sense of noble resignation. We cannot grow otherwise. Here, I believe, what's true for individuals is equally true for societies.

And the fascist pig Milosevic used wars by the Ottoman TurkSoms from 1000 years before as his excuse to abuse Muslims in Yugoslavia, placing them in death camps - never mind all the mass rapes.

Some things just need to be pushed aside. Bygones are bygones. In 1994 I saw Phil Collins as the musical guest on Dave Letterman's show and he playfully teased Phil about the July 4 holiday weekend coming up. And Phil just said that July 4 'was just another Monday'. LOL. And nobody was ripping up Union Jack flags around here.

@OssanJapan

massive uphill struggle that President Yoon faces

Indeed, 80% of comments on Korean news aggregation sites are like "F-ck you traitor!" "See you in hell!" or something like that. There is a massive public blowback building from this speech.

@ReasonanWisdomNippon

This is exactly like in 2015 under Park Geun Hye

Park had no agency from the Comfort Women to sell what she was trying to sell and was an illegal deal.

If a Japanese working for the government visits the Yasukuni Shrine, deal off,

Yasukuni is damned as long as name plates of Tojo Hideki and Co are enshrined. Not even Japan's emperors can visit Yasukuni thanks to Tojo and Co's enshrinement. As soon as Tojo and Co are gone from Yasukuni, it's kosher to visit again.

Why doesn't South Korea hate Russia?? 

Actually that was communist Soviet Union, not Putin's Russia which isn't communist. Additionally, Putin's Russia is single-handedly responsible for turning Korea into a military arms powerhouse today; it wasn't the Americans who taught Koreans how to make advanced weapons, Russia did (for money).

So for the price of 400 Tomahawks that Japan is importing from the US, Korea can build 4,000 domestic cruise missiles for same money.

Russia responsible for Dividing Korea in Half!

Actually Koreans hold Japan responsible for the division. Had Imperial Japan surrendered after the Battle of Okinawa, then the division never happened. Instead, it was Imperial Japan's Operation Gyokusai(Kamikaze by Entire Population on Japanese mainland) that triggered Soviet participation and the subsequent division.

Why doesn't South Korea hate China??

Actually Koreans do hate CCP's China, just not as much as Imperial Japan whom Koreans consider the worst war criminals of the 20th century, worse than the Nazis.

National holiday yesterday in South Korea to commemorate the Uprising and patriots such as Yu Gwansun who died an atrocious death at Seodaemun Prison at the hands of her captive nation’s imperial overlords. Yukio Hatoyama’s gesture of repentance at the prison showed what’s possible when people of goodwill aren’t prevented from doing what’s right.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Gwansun

Good, new and better alliances and ties in Asia..

Without the toxic warmongering interventionist of US..

Ercan ArisoyMar. 1  10:27 pm JST

Grudge confines people in the past and can even make us unable to interpret today's requirements incorrectly. Healing can only come when we find courage to understand history with a sense of noble resignation. We cannot grow otherwise. Here, I believe, what's true for individuals is equally true for societies.

Everything changes. Imperial/fascist Japan is gone. The USSR is gone. The Chinese Republic (pre-CCP) is gone. Yet these rallies look a lot like the 'Hate Week' detailed in the novel '1984'. Stir up the stories, true and false. Stir up the hatred. It's sad and it's sick. All it takes is one loudmouth lout and the sheep will follow.