south koreans seek new relationship with japan herald

http://www.inter-edu.com/forum/read.php?1281,2290596


●South Koreans seek new relationship with Japan
Herald Tribune January 10, 2009


Oh Yeh-sol loves watching Japanese cartoons, eating sushi and drinking sake. She believes that Tokyo's 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea should be a thing of the past.

"I think it's better to get along with them and pursue exchanges," said Oh, 26, who recently started offering a language exchange program for Korean and Japanese speakers in her Seoul cafe.

With Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso arriving in Seoul on Sunday, many South Koreans, including President Lee Myung-bak, say it's time to look beyond the troubled past and build closer ties with Japan.

People "say Korea and Japan are 'close yet distant countries' but we should be 'close and close' countries," the Japan-born Lee told Aso during a private meeting on the sidelines of a first-ever three-way meeting with China's leader last month. "And Korea is ready to become so."

Lee has pledged not to seek a new apology from Japan for the use of forced labor and sex slaves during colonial rule.
（李明博大統領は過去の植民地支配における強制連行や従軍慰安婦問題について日本に新たなる謝罪を求めないことを誓約した。）

He also resumed top-level visits, which had been suspended since 2005 to protest former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to a Tokyo war shrine.

The past, however, has a way of bubbling up.

Lee's overtures took a serious hit in July when Tokyo announced it would recommend that a government teaching manual include Japan's claim to uninhabited islets claimed by both countries.

South Korea recalled its ambassador in Tokyo for three weeks and heightened security near the islets. Activists staged near-daily protests in front of the Japanese Embassy. Many scholars and newspaper editorials demanded Lee toughen policy on Japan.

"Koreans view Japan's claim to (the islets) as its historic aggression," said Jin Chang-soo, a Japan expert at South Korea's Sejong Institute, a policy think tank.

On Tuesday, the dispute threatened to flare up again.

Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported that Tokyo planned to conduct a maritime research survey in waters between the two countries. The Japanese government denied the report, but South Korea still warned Tokyo against the plan amid media speculation that such a survey could include waters near the islets.

Despite such hiccups, growing economic ties are bringing the two countries closer.

The countries are major commercial partners, with two-way trade reaching $82.6 billion in 2007. About 2.6 million South Koreans traveled to Japan in 2007, while 2.2 million Japanese visited South Korea.

The global financial crisis has bolstered cooperation, with the two countries increasing a bilateral currency swap facility to about $20 billion.

Lee meets Aso on Monday, his sixth meeting with a Japanese leader since taking office 11 months ago. South Korean officials say the meeting will focus on economic cooperation and efforts to stop North Korea's nuclear program. The islets are not on the agenda.

Among Koreans who still harbor strong resentment against Japan are those who were sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II. Many feel that earlier apologies by Japanese leaders have been insincere and are demanding a fresh one.

"They punched, kicked and beat me when I cried and refused to take off my clothes though I was only a 13-year-old girl at the time," said 82-year-old Gil Won-ok. "We don't have many years to live. If we all die, to whom will Japan apologize?"


●（韓国の）民主党　李明博大統領が「慰安婦謝罪要求放棄を誓約 」の報道に何の権限で？"


民主党は去る1月10日の韓日首脳会談で、「李明博大統領が今後、強制徴用と慰安婦問題に
対して謝罪要求放棄を誓約した」というAPニュースを引用報道したヘラルドトリビューン紙の報道
内容には理解出来ない親日(行為)とし、猛烈に非難した。

それだけでなく民主党は、「アリラン3号の衛星発射事業者に三菱重工業が選ばれたことと、第2
ロッテワールドの許可も日本と関連深い企業が推進する」という点も共に批判して、これに対し
経緯を解明して国民に謝罪しろと声を高めた。
民主党イ・ジェヒョン副報道担当者は28日、論評を通じて、「ヘラルドトリビューン紙が引用した
APニュースは去る1月10日の韓日首脳会談で李明博大統領が強制徴用と慰安婦問題に対して
今後の謝罪要求放棄を誓約した、と報道した」とした上で、「しかもこの日アリラン3号の衛星発射
事業者として三菱重工業が選ばれたが、読売新聞は日本政府関係者の言葉を引用し'当初ロシア
ロケットで発射予定だったが、大統領が変更した'と報道した」と伝えた。これに対しイ副報道担当者は、
「三菱は植民時代に朝鮮少女300人余りを強制徴用して補償を拒否した悪徳日本企業であり、
ロシアとは違い、発射体技術移転をしない」とした上で、「ミサイル主権および宇宙航空技術独立
と関連深い衛星発射体事業で技術移転がないならば、この分野は当然日本に従属するのに
大統領は従属を選択した」と非難した。

続いてイ副報道担当者は、「強制徴用と慰安婦問題に対する謝罪について苦痛受けた当事者で
ない大統領が放棄する権限はない」と指摘して、「謝罪放棄を'約束'ではない'誓約(pledged)'とした
ことはどういうことなのか」と問い詰めた。

またイ副報道担当者は、「民族の自尊を傷つけられながら強制徴用と慰安婦謝罪要求をしないと
誓約して、ミサイル自主権と宇宙航空技術の独立をあきらめ、衛星発射体事業権を強制徴用
日本企業に与えて何を得たのか」と責め立てた。

特にイ副報道担当者は、「軍事安保を害しながら許そうとする第2ロッテワールドも日本と関連深い
企業が推進する」としながら、「第2ロッテワールドによるka-1部隊の内陸移転を口実として中古アパッチ
ヘリコプターを購入して国産攻撃ヘリコプターの開発事業を座礁させようとするのも米国追随では
ないか」と猛非難した。

これに対してこの副報道担当者は "国民より友達を、国より敵国を愛しているのなら、もう大韓民国大統領ではない"と一撃を加えた後 "李明博大統領は衛星発射体事業者選定と強制徴用及び
慰安婦謝罪し、放棄経緯を解き明かして国民に謝罪せよ"と強力に促した。