Obama makes paper cranes in commemoration of young victim in Hiroshima

At 5 p.m. on Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama was looking around the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and stopped at a picture of a girl. Her name was Sadako Sasaki who died from radiation exposure at the age of 12.

When she was two years old, she was exposed to radiation at her home, 1.6 kilometers away from the atomic bomb drop point. She survived the impact, but nine years later, the symptoms started arising; her entire body was swelling and covered with red rashes. A doctor stated, "She has less than a year." A friend of her visited Sadako and told her, "If you make a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true." The girl believed what the friend said, and made paper cranes until she passed away. This story, written in the book "Sadako and A Thousand Paper Cranes," has become a popular symbol of war tragedy in Japan.

After looking at a picture of Sadako and paper cranes she made, Obama turned to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and said, "Actually, I have brought some paper cranes today." Obama received two cranes from his attendant and gave them to two of young Japanese students who welcomed Obama. Surprised, Abe asked, "Did you make them by yourself?" Obama answered, "Yes, with a little help." Obama left his signature as well as two more paper cranes on a log book.

Obama's "surprising gift" indicates how thoroughly he had prepared for his visit to Hiroshima. Washington and Tokyo scheduled Obama's visit to Hiroshima and made exhaustive arrangements including Obama's movements and how to offer flowers to the victims of the bomb. The Mainichi Newspaper reported on Sunday, "President Obama decided to visit Hiroshima on May 6. As Prime Minister Abe was visiting Russia at that time, Washington sent the message to Tokyo on May 8." The decision was made in consideration of various factors such as a backlash within the U.S., its impact to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, and reactions of Korea and China.

The Sankei newspaper reported, "The U.S. made a request that the ceremony be held solemnly." That is why Japan did not have young students welcome Obama with American flags in their hands, which they did for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry when he visited the place last month. Although Japan considered having Obama and Abe offer flowers together, the U.S. requested that it be done separately.

In the meantime, the White House is tacitly demanding that Abe will visit Pearl Harbor in return for Obama's visit to Hiroshima. The Washington Post quoted a U.S. government source on Friday saying that Abe will be welcomed if he visits Pearl Harbor in December. An official from the White House noted, "I will be surprised if Abe does not attend the ceremony at Pearl Harbor." The U.S. government is going to hold a memorial ceremony on Dec. 7, right after the presidential election, marking the 75th anniversary of Japan's air strikes to the harbor.

After the U.S.-Japan summit on May 25, Abe denied the possibility of him visiting Pearl Harbor in a press interview. Some speculate, however, that Abe would seriously consider attending the ceremony at Pearl Harbor because he would want to keep the best relationship with the next U.S. administration.

도쿄=장원재특파원 peacechaos@donga.com · 워싱턴=이승헌 특파원ddr@donga.com