hankyoreh

By Ahn Chang-hyun, Blue House correspondent

President Lee Myung-bak demanded an apology on August 14 for Japan's imperial history from Emperor Akihito.

His remarks came while attending a teachers' workshop on eradicating school violence at the Korea National University of Education in Cheongwon, North Chungcheong province.

"If [the Emperor] wishes to visit Korea, he should go visit the people who gave their lives fighting for independence and apologize to them," Lee said.

"If he wants to come to express his 'feelings of deep regrets,' well, then he doesn't need to come at all," the president added.

His words came in response to an attendee's question on his feelings following his surprise August 10 visit to Dokdo. Lee said the visit was "something I thought of doing two or three years ago. It wasn't something I did spontaneously. The possibility of these kinds of side effects [did occur to me]."


At a 1990 welcome dinner for then-South Korean President Roh Tae-woo on his visit to Japan, Akihito said, "Thinking of the unfortunate period brought on by us in Japan, I have no way of containing my feelings of deep regret." A debate ensued over whether his remarks should be taken as a sincere apology.

Lee said, "I've been a guest of the state in many countries, but I'm not going to Japan [as a guest of the state]. I'll do shuttle diplomacy [with Tokyo], but if the Diet gives me the chance to say what I feel, then I'll do it [visit]."

The President also recalled his first meeting in forty or fifty years with an elementary school friend who had bullied other students. "The victimizer can forget, but the victim doesn't forget," he said. "He only forgives. We can forgive what Japan did, but we can't forget."

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]