By KIYOHIDE INADA/ Correspondent
March 1, 2023 at 18:42 JST
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a ceremony of the 104th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement Day against Japanese colonial rule in Seoul on March 1. (Pool Photo via AP)
SEOUL—South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol extended an olive branch to Japan in his speech marking the March 1 Independence Movement Day anniversary, calling the country a like-minded “partner.”
“Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor into a partner that shares the same universal values with us,” he said at the ceremony that marked the 104th anniversary of protests against Japanese colonial rule in 1919. “Today, Korea and Japan cooperate on issues of security and economy. We also work together to cope with global agendas.”
Yoon said cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the United States has become “more important than ever to overcome security crises, including North Korea’s growing nuclear threats,” and other contingencies around the globe.
“We must stand in solidarity with countries that share universal values in order to contribute to promoting the freedom of global citizens and the common prosperity of all humankind.”
Yoon has vowed to rebuild bilateral ties between the two nations since becoming president in May 2022.
In a speech delivered on Aug. 15, 2022, the National Liberation Day, Yoon called Japan “a neighbor” that South Korea will work together with to take on challenges that threaten freedom.
The relationship between South Korea and Japan has fallen to a low point in recent years, with the two at odds over wartime compensation.
A 2018 ruling by South Korea’s Supreme Court that ordered Japanese firms to compensate some Korean wartime laborers rekindled the thorny diplomatic issue.
But Yoon has been busy making moves to try to address the matter.
In January, the South Korean government unveiled a plan to compensate the victims through its own public foundation, while asking Japan for a “sincere response,” such as an apology and funds.
Yoon did not mention the controversial matter in the speech.
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