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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Result of Japan-ROK summit shows Koizumi should stop visiting Yasukuni and act out of remorse over war of aggression
Akahata editorial

A Japan-South Korea summit meeting took place on June 20 between Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro and President Roh Moo-hyun in a tenser atmosphere than ever before. The two confirmed pre-arranged issues, including the second joint study on history and Japan's new facility to remember the war dead, and spent most of the 2-hour meeting on historical issues, the reason being that settling historical questions is the key to improving Japan-South Korea relations.

Prime Minister Koizumi, however, refused to give up his controversial Yasukuni Shrine visits, disappointing not only people in the two countries but also in Asia as a whole.

If he wants to say, 'No-war pledge'

In a joint announcement on the summit meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi said that it is important to "seriously accept South Korean people's sentiments on the past, regret what needs to be regretted, and hold an honest dialogue toward the future."

According to Japan's announcement, President Roh said that the issue of Yasukuni is at the "core of the history issues concerning Japan-South Korea relations," and Prime Minister Koizumi responded, "I visit the shrine based on the no-war pledge."

The prime minister's excuse does not make sense because Yasukuni Shrine justifies the past war of aggression and colonialism.

Yasukuni Shrine publicizes a particular view of history and war which justifies the wartime past of aggression and colonialism by the imperial government for "survival and self-defense." Yasukuni Shrine, whose mission is to enshrine the "spirits of the war dead for their feat of arms," argues that Class-A war criminals were "unjustly accused Showa era martyrs" and attacks "Prime Minister Murayama's comment" in 1995 expressing Japan's remorse over the war of aggression and colonialism, saying that the statement was a "lie and mistake."

Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine mean not only approving the historical view that justifies the war of aggression as the Japanese government stance and thus denying the government's official position.

According to the South Korean announcement, President Roh told Prime Minister Koizumi that he knows that Yasukuni Shrine is apparently taking pride in the past war and gloriously exhibiting materials. The president said, "No matter what explanation the prime minister gives, our people take the shrine as an effort to justify the war of aggression, which is the objective reality."

Prime Minister Koizumi must answer the question as to whether he will face up to this reality.

Any no-war pledge must be based on clear self-criticism of the wrong war Japan carried out. Koizumi is in the highest position responsible for governing Japan, and he visits Yasukuni Shrine that is dedicated to justifying Japan's war of aggression, while paying verbal tribute expressing "respect and gratefulness" to the war dead as victims who had to go to war against their will. This sounds extremely hollow. It is an insult to those who were forced by the state power to die violently. It is all the more intolerable for the people of South Korea who were colonized by Japan, taken to Japan for forced labor, or joined the war of aggression under the Japanese flag.

To build peace and develop cooperation in Asia

If the Japanese prime minister repeats these words and deeds of his, they will adversely affect the basis of Japan-South Korea relations, harm the trust of other Asian countries, and add to Japan's diplomatic stalemate.

In order to build relations of trust and friendship between Japan and South Korea and between the two peoples, it is necessary for Prime Minister Koizumi to promise to continue future-directed candid talks but also to stop his Yasukuni visits and prove by deeds his no-war pledge. This is an important task in order for Japan to develop relations of peace and cooperation with South Korea and other Asian countries. -- Akahata June 22, 2005