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Yoon extends olive branch to mend ties with Tokyo
President Yoon reached out a hand of reconciliation to improve relations with Japan

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk Yeol extended another olive branch to mend relations between South Korea and Japan, saying Tokyo has “transformed from a militaristic aggressor into a partner” during his March 1 Independence Movement Day speech, Wednesday.
In a commemorative speech at the March 1st Section commemoration ceremony on the 1st, President Yoon Seok-yeol sent another gesture of reconciliation, revealing that Japan had “changed from a militaristic aggressor to a cooperative partner” in order to improve Korea-Japan relations.

“Now, more than a century after the March 1 Independence Movement, Japan has transformed itself from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner that shares universal values with us,” Yoon said during a ceremony to commemorate the peaceful protest that took place in 1919 to resist Japan’s colonial rule.
At a ceremony commemorating the peaceful protests that took place to resist Japan’s colonial rule in 1919, President Yoon said, “Now, a century after the March 1st Movement, Japan has changed from a militaristic aggressor in the past to a cooperative partner that shares universal values ​​with us. “he said.

Yoon said the trilateral security cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats was one of the fields in which the two countries are working together to address global challenges, adding that South Korea should “stand in solidarity with countries sharing universal values.”
President Yoon said that South Korea-US-Japan cooperation to overcome the North Korean nuclear threat is one of the fields in which Korea and Japan cooperate to solve global challenges, adding, “We must cooperate with countries that share universal values.”

“This spirit of solidarity and cooperation is the same spirit that called for our nation’s freedom and independence 104 years ago,” Yoon said.
President Yoon said, “The spirit of solidarity and cooperation is not different from the spirit that shouted for the freedom and independence of the country 104 years ago.”

In his speech, which lasted slightly over five minutes, Yoon did not make any remarks that could be interpreted as a demand for Japan’s apology for its past actions.
In President Yoon’s commemorative speech, which lasted about five minutes, there was no mention that could be interpreted as a request for an apology from Japan for past history issues.

This contrasts starkly with the Independence Movement Day speech made by Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in, in 2018, calling on Japan to issue an apology as a “perpetrator” of “crimes against humanity.”
This is in sharp contrast to President Moon Jae-in, right before President Yoon, calling Japan an “perpetrator” of “anti-human rights crimes” and calling for an apology in his 2018 March 1 commemorative address.

Since Yoon took office in May last year, he has been making efforts to mend ties between the two countries, holding multiple summits with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
After taking office in May of last year, President Yoon, who has worked tirelessly to improve Korea-Japan relations, has held several summit meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

In line with this direction, Yoon also did not mention pending bilateral issues, such as compensating Korean victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor.
In line with this stance, President Yoon did not mention unresolved issues between the two countries, such as the issue of compensation for Korean victims of wartime forced labor.

KEY WORDS
■ Olive branch Words of reconciliation[행위]
■ mend (discord, etc.) to settle
■ commemorate (an important person/event) to commemorate
■ starkly not at all, completely
■ perpetrator assailant
■ pending
■ compensate

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