[Editorial] Continued expectations for a “Hatoyama statement” on annexation

Posted on : 2010-02-12 11:03 KST Modified on : 2010-02-12 11:03 KST

During talks yesterday with Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada acknowledged the error of Japan’s forcible annexation of Korea in 1910. “I believe that Koreans had their country taken away and suffered a deep injury to the nation’s pride,” Okada said. He also said that the Cabinet of Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio is “carrying on the Murayama statement,” and that Japan and South Korea should look ahead to the next century and strengthen their friendly relations to form a relationship oriented towards the future.

The “Murayama statement” refers to a statement made in 1995 by then-Japanese Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi, who formally apologized for the Pacific War and for his country’s depredations and colonial rule prior to the war. It is noteworthy that the foreign minister for the Hatoyama administration took the opportunity during his first South Korea visit to express his intent to reflect on history in this year, the 100th anniversary of the annexation.

Since taking office, the Democratic Party of Japan administration has emphasized its intent to take a future-oriented approach to historical issues. But in the nearly half a year since then, things have happened periodically to call that intent into question. One example was the payment of a mere 99 yen welfare annuity to seven Korean women who had served as conscripted laborers during the Japanese occupation. Another was a roundabout reiteration of territorial claims to Dokdo in a high school textbook instructional manual released late last year. The DPJ administration has also postponed submitting legislation to the Diet of Japan that would confer local voting rights to permanent residents with foreign nationality, namely Koreans in Japan. Actions matter more than words, and despite our early expectations, we have yet to see much in the way of actions that seem genuine.

Even Okada’s remarks have been difficult to interpret. During a press conference held in Japan on Feb. 2, he made a statement that seemed to assert the legitimacy of the annexation, saying, “If you look at the global situation of those times, it seems that such actions may not have been limited to just Japan.” He did go on to add, “We must not forget the feelings of those who suffer,” but it is difficult to place much trust in someone when his remarks made in Japan differ from those made while visiting Korea.

This year, as we mark the 100th anniversary of the annexation, it is essential that the two countries dispel their distrust and firmly establish a future-oriented relationship. One basic solution to this would be for Japan to acknowledge that the annexation, which took place through coercive and violent means, was never valid, and to build a new foundation for Korea-Japan relations based on this understanding. Murayama may have apologized for colonial rule in his statement, but his apology was limited in that it did not address the root of the problem. We look forward to seeing a “Hatoyama statement” that overcomes those limitations.

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