Statement on DPRK-Japan talks
Korean leader calls for normal relations
From 1910 to 1945, all of Korea was under Japanese
colonial domination. During World War II, many Koreans were
forcibly taken to Japan as forced laborers and as sex slaves
for the Japanese army.
Now, for the first time since the colonial period ended,
the governments of Japan and of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea in the north have held a meeting to normalize
relations. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited
the DPRK on Sept. 17 and met with General Secretary Kim Jong
Il. During the visit, Koizumi apologized for the colonial
period--another first for a Japanese leader.
Three days earlier, Kim Jong Il had given the following
response to written questions from Japan's Kyodo News Service
about the purpose of the forthcoming visit:
"Korea and Japan are geographically close countries, and
they had maintained relations from olden times exchanging
visits with each other. But in the past century discord and
confrontation have brought the relations between the two
countries to an extremely abnormal state. The abnormal
relations between them that have lasted for over half a century
since the end of the Second World War are, in every respect,
harmful to either of them. Normalizing relations between the
two countries and developing good-neighborly relations accords
with the aspirations and interests of the peoples of the two
countries, and it is an urgent demand of the times.
"Korea and Japan are Asian nations. They should live in
friendship as nearest neighbors, not as near yet distant
neighbors, and promote coexistence and co-prosperity. This is
our will and consistent standpoint.
"The politicians of Korea and Japan are now entrusted with
the historic mission to normalize the abnormal relations
between the two countries. If responsible statesmen make
decisions from a large point of view and get down to the task
in order to realize the people's desires and interests and
fulfil their noble historic mission, they will be able to find
solutions to any problems existing between the two
countries.
"Prime Minister Koizumi will soon visit Pyongyang, and this
will be a turning point in normalizing Korea-Japan relations. I
welcome his visit to my country and believe that our meeting
and talks will bring forth good fruits. We must open up a new
chapter in the historical relationship between Korea and Japan
by our common will and joint effort to improve their relations
in every possible way.
"The basic problem that must be solved to normalize
Korea-Japan relations is to clean up the past unpleasant events
that have taken place between the two countries.
"If nothing is done to the history of rancor that has
accumulated for a whole century, neither the normalization of
state relations nor good-neighborly, friendly relations can be
realized.
"Japan's settlement of past necessitates a sincere apology
and due compensation that takes into full consideration the
whole range of damage and sufferings it inflicted upon the
Korean people. The lack of solution to these core issues has so
far curbed the improvement of the bilateral relations and
presented a variety of complicated problems.
"The two countries are now tied up hand and foot, trapped as
they are in mud-slinging over minor issues, but these will be
settled smoothly when bilateral relations improve and mutual
confidence is built.
"An end to abnormal relations will also dissipate the
security concerns of the Japanese people. Apparently the
Japanese people are highly nervous about our defense build-up,
but our defense policy is, to all intents and purposes, geared
to self-defense. Our armed forces will mercilessly deal with
those who provoke us, but we will never resort to force of arms
against those who do not. If Japan gives up hostility for
friendship towards us, it has nothing to fear about our defense
upbuilding.
"Finally, as for your question about my intention to visit
Japan, I think there would be no reason why I should not visit
Japan so long as bilateral relations develop favorably on a
normal track."
Reprinted from the Sept. 26, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
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