June 22, 2025

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

It has been 60 years since Japan and South Korea signed the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on June 22, 1965. This year also marks 80th year from the end of the WWII. On this occasion, the need is for Japan to show a proactive stance in resolving issues stemming from its past war of aggression and colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula in order to build cooperative relations and friendship between the two countries and the two peoples.

In the 1990s, a movement calling on Japan to express remorse and take responsibility for its past war of aggression and colonial rule grew in Japan and South Korea as shown by the fact that victims of the wartime Japanese military sex slavery (“comfort women”) system came forward publicly in South Korea to offer their testimonies. Under this situation, in Japan, three major documents regarding historical issues were released.

The three documents are: the 1993 Chief Cabinet Secretary Kono Yohei’s Statement which admitted to the imperial Japanese military’s involvement and the coerciveness in the “comfort women” system; the 1995 Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi’s Statement which acknowledged that Japan, following “a mistaken national policy”, committed acts of “colonial rule and aggression”; and the 1998 Japan-ROK Joint Declaration signed between Japanese Prime Minister Obuchi Keizo and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. It stated, “Prime Minister Obuchi regarded in a spirit of humility the fact of history that Japan caused, during a certain period in the past, tremendous damage and suffering to the people of the Republic of Korea through its colonial rule, and expressed his deep remorse and heartfelt apology for this fact.” Consequently, in broad terms, the relations between the two countries developed significantly.

However, the Prime Minister Abe Shinzo statement, which was released in 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary of the war’s end, caused a rift in bilateral relations. This statement beautified the Russo-Japanese War that promoted the colonization of Korea, and failed to share the historical recognition of the “Murayama Statement”. The aim of the Abe statement was to place the three documents on the shelf.

This constitutes a serious obstacle in resolving both the “comfort women” issue and the issue of wartime Korean forced laborers.

Regarding the two issues, the Japanese government shows an unwillingness to regard them as serious human rights violations linked to its past colonial rule. It has refused to compensate the victims on the grounds that any right to claim compensation was settled under the 1965 Japan-ROK Agreement Concerning the Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims which was concluded in accordance with the Basic Treaty. While the Japanese government admits that the individual right to claim compensation is still valid despite the bilateral agreement, it has unjustly criticized South Korea for resurrecting what it considers to be settled issues.

The Japanese government should review its stance fundamentally and fulfil its responsibility so that all victims’ honor and dignity will be restored.

Past related article:
> Issue of Korean forced labor in wartime Japan should be resolved based on bilateral partnership agreement [March 8, 2023]