SEOUL: On the
anniversary of Japan's World War Two surrender, South Korea's president
yesterday urged Japan to contemplate its wartime past and offered to engage in
talks to repair strained ties, while Japan pledged to never repeat the horrors
of war. Relations between Japan and South Korea are arguably at their lowest
ebb since they normalized ties in 1965, strained over the issue of South Korean
forced labor during World War Two and a bitter trade row.

In a speech
marking Korea's independence from Japanese rule, Moon dialed down his recent
harsh rhetoric towards Japan. "We hope that Japan will play a leading role
together in facilitating peace and prosperity in East Asia while it
contemplates a past that brought misfortune to its neighboring countries,"
said Moon.

"Better late
than never: if Japan chooses the path of dialogue and cooperation, we will
gladly join hands." Moon's emphasis on talks was a departure from the
stringent tone in which he said South Korea "will never be defeated again
by Japan". Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday sent a ritual
monetary offering to the controversial Yasukuni shrine for war dead in Tokyo.
He did not visit in person, an act which would have sparked a heated reaction
from Seoul.

Seoul's foreign
ministry expressed "deep concerns" over Abe sending the offering to a
shrine that "beautifies Japan's colonial pillage and aggressive war".
Bitter memories of Japan's 1910-45 colonization of Korea have long haunted
ties. At a ceremony honoring war dead, Abe said Japan had engraved the
"lessons of history deep in our hearts", and pledged never to repeat
its devastation. "To create a peaceful new era full of hope, we will spare
no effort in working with the international community."

Diplomacy back on
track?

Relations
deteriorated after South Korea's Supreme Court last year ordered Japanese
companies to compensate some wartime forced laborers. Tokyo says the matter was
settled by a 1965 treaty normalizing ties. The chill deepened when Japan ended
South Korea's fast-track trade status this month, prompting Seoul to follow
suit. Tokyo has cited security concerns for its tightening of export controls,
which South Korea called retaliation over the forced labor feud. Strained ties
between the two key US allies have worried Washington, which fears weakened
security cooperation in the face of North Korea's threat and China's rise.

Japanese and
South Korean vice foreign ministers reportedly plan to meet this week in Guam
to discuss the issue. Leif-Eric Easley, who teaches international relations at
Ewha University in Seoul, said Moon's speech was meant to "leave the door
open for diplomacy". "Recent escalation demonstrated a lack of
appreciation for the economic interests at stake, for the other side's domestic
politics, and for the severe regional security situation," he said.

'Bitter and
furious'

In downtown
Seoul, thousands of South Koreans in raincoats, including some victims of
forced labor, staged a massive rally, marching toward the Japanese embassy and
chanting "Fight!" and "Compensate!" Holding a banner saying
"No Abe, No Mitsubishi," Yang Geum-deuk, 90, said she was given
barely any food and often beaten by Japanese authorities for not quickly using
the bathroom while at Mitsubishi.

"We Koreans
were treated as animals," Yang said. "But we're strong now ... and my
wish is to hear a word of apology from Abe, as the world knows how we suffered
in Japan." New emperor Naruhito, speaking at the same ceremony as Abe,
expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's wartime past and prayed for
global peace in remarks that echoed those of his father, Akihito.

Past visits by
Japanese leaders to Yasukuni have outraged South Korea because the shrine
honors 14 Japanese convicted as war criminals. Abe has only visited once since
taking office in 2012, but has regularly sent offerings on major occasions.
Ruling party lawmaker Tomomi Inada, a former defense minister and now special
aide to Abe, made the shrine offering on behalf of the premier, whom she quoted
as thanking those who gave their lives for their homeland and contributed to
Japan's peace and prosperity, domestic media said.

A steady stream
of visitors paid their respects at Yasukuni, while police, some in anti-riot
gear, patrolled nearby. A sign on the grounds warned that activities such as
hoisting flags, demonstrating or destroying property were banned. "The
people enshrined here fought for Japan and we have come to express our
gratitude and to show them our resolve to build a better Japan," said
Yoshiko Matsuura, 71, a former ward assembly member from Tokyo visiting with
other local politicians.

'One Korea'

In his Liberation
Day speech, Moon laid out ambitious goals for ties with North Korea, vowing efforts
for a successful joint hosting of the 2032 Olympics and unification by 2045,
which will mark the 100th anniversary of liberation. Moon called for Pyongyang
and Washington to resume nuclear talks as soon as possible, which speed not
only efforts to give up nuclear weapons but business ties between the
neighbors. "When economic cooperation accelerates and the peace economy
begins, unification will beckon," Moon said. "I pledge to solidify
the foundation so that we can ... stand tall in the world as one Korea by
achieving peace and unification by 2045."

Such goals have
long been considered distant, but the comments come at a sensitive time, amid a
series of missile tests by the North, stalled nuclear talks and a virtual halt
in communications between the neighbors. "The 'One Korea' plan could sound
like a grand vision but may well end up as an empty promise without a clear,
shared understanding of denuclearization to advance dialogue and concrete
action plans," said Kim Hong-kyun, a former South Korean nuclear envoy. -
Reuters