[Editorial] Unsatisfied with Prime Minister Koizumi`s Visit to Seoul

Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro visited Seoul yesterday. We cannot but ask again why he visited. It is true that the recent South Korea-Japan relationship is more strained than ever before due to the various pending issues. Since the root cause of such a strained relationship lies in Japan, Prime Minister Koizumi should have resolved the issues. However, he failed to meet Korean people`s expectation.

First of all, Prime Minister Koizumi`s visit to the Suhdaemoon Prison`s history hall where he could witness the brutality of the Japan`s imperialism is meaningful in its way since it was the first visit made to the on site of the past history by the Japanese Prime Minister. However, his apology and reflection on the past history of Japan announced at the Independence Part in Suhdaemoon was overall reaffirmation of the talk by the former Prime Minister Murayama Tomiyichi in 1995 or the `South Korea-Japan Partnership Joint Declaration` in 1998.

By saying ``… let`s cooperate not to experience painful suffering again, while self-reflecting on this with each other….`` he has rather created misunderstanding. If his remark indicated that we, who were victimized by Japan, are the equal subjects who need self-reflection with them [Japanese] together, it is a statement that misleads the history.

Discussion at the summit talk with regard to the pending issues, such as history textbooks, visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, and the saury fishery, is far from our expectation. Prime Minister Koizumi told President Kim Dae-Jung that ``let`s establish a joint history research institution composed of history scholars and experts of the two countries. I will make it possible for anybody in the world to be able to visit shrine for the war dead. I hope that there be a sincere discussion between the diplomatic parties of the two nations regarding the issue of saury fishery.`` In other words, there is no clear self-reflection and explanation on the selection of history textbooks, his shrine visit, and the `backdoor trade` of the saury fishery in waters off of the Southern Kuril Islands with Russia. There is no concrete mention with regard to how Japan would correct these matters in the future.

If South Korea and Japan wish to strengthen the friendly relationship, they should create an atmosphere in which they can trust and respect each other. If one of the two nations distorts truth or seeks to take one`s own advantage alone, a true friendly relationship cannot be made. If Prime Minister Koizumi had reflected more sincerely on the past history of Japan and had proposed constructive opinions regarding the pending issues in Seoul, it would have helped resolve the strained relationship between the two countries. However, it is deplorable that his visit did not meet such expectations.