President Roh: “The Matter of History Between South Korea and Japan Should Be Headed for Setting Up a New Future”

President Roh Moo-hyun reconfirmed on April 27 that the government would compensate private people who did not receive due reparations or compensation due to the Korea-Japan Agreement in 1965 despite damages caused by Japanese atrocities, including forced labor under Japanese colonial rule, at the government level.

On the same day, President Roh invited 10 private members, including Lee Yong-hoon, joint chairman of ‘the joint private-government committee for measures on opening the Korea-Japan Agreement’s documents’ to a luncheon party at Cheong Wa Dae, expressing, “Once what is true or false is evident, although it is not obvious who should take legal responsibility for it, the government won’t be able to be free of the responsibility in reason.”

In the meantime, on that day, President Roh expressed, “South Korea and Japan have a common destiny and should move together to face future of northeast Asia, through a message celebrating the ‘MINDAN News’ 2,500th issue, (MINDAN News: Korean Residents Union in Japan’s newspaper), adding, “Whether it is a matter related with history or not, the two countries should head for a course that can help to set up a new future.”

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com