South Korea Urges Japan to be More Sincere in Atoning for Wartime Past
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is urging Japan to be more sincere about recognizing the atrocities it committed during World War Two. In a speech marking the 88th anniversary of the 1919 Korean uprising against Japanese colonial rule, Mr. Roh said Thursday that Japan should not try to glorify or justify its colonial history.
Relations between Japan and South Korea have deteriorated in recent years, mainly because of former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to a controversial war shrine. The Yasukuni shrine honors Japan's war dead, including several convicted World War Two criminals. His visits infuriated China and South Korea, where memories of Japan's harsh occupation are still vivid for many. Japan controlled the Korean peninsula from 1910 until its defeat in World War Two, in 1945.
韩国总统卢武铉敦促日本更真心地承认日本在第二次世界大战中犯下的暴行。卢武铉星期四在纪念1919年韩国抗击日本殖民统治起义88周年的讲话中说，日本不应该为自己的殖民历史进行美化和正当化。
近年来，日韩两国关系恶化，主要是因为日本前首相小泉纯一郎屡次参拜有争议的靖国神社。靖国神社里供奉着日本的战争亡灵，其中包括几名被定罪的二战战犯。小泉纯一郎参拜靖国神社激怒了中国和韩国。中韩两国很多人都对日本的残暴占领记忆犹新。日本从1910开始到1945年二战战败一直占领朝鲜半岛。
