Special Message by President Roh Moo-hyun
on
Korea-Japan Relations
My fellow Koreans,
Dokdo is our land. It is not only part of our territory but also
our own soil of historic significance where forty years of painful history is
engraved vividly.
Dokdo is our territory that was first to
be annexed to Japan
in the course of its usurpation of the Korean
Peninsula.
The Russo-Japanese War was a war of aggression
that Imperial Japan initiated to secure control over the Korean
Peninsula.
Under the pretext of carrying out the
Russo-Japanese War, Japan
sent its troops to Korea
and occupied the Korean
Peninsula. The Japanese forces staged a siege around
Korean royal palaces, terrorized the royal office and the Government of Korea
to force them into signing the Korea-Japan Protocol, expropriated the land and
people of Korea
as it pleased, and established military facilities. Japan
unilaterally proclaimed military rule over part of the Korean territory and
eventually trampled on Korea’s
sovereignty by taking away our fiscal and diplomatic rights.
As part of this process, Japan
forcefully merged Dokdo into its territory, installed an observation tower and
electric cables, and utilized them in their war efforts. While continuing the military occupation of
the Korean
Peninsula,
Japan
deprived Korea
of sovereignty and secured colonial control over the Peninsula.
Japan’s
present claim to Dokdo is claiming a right to what it had once occupied
during an imperialist war of aggression, and what is worse, it is claiming a
right to a former colonial territory of bygone years. This is an act of negating the complete
liberation and independence of Korea. Moreover, this is an act of contending the
legitimacy of Japan’s
criminal history of waging wars of aggression and annihilation as well as forty
years of exploitation, torture, imprisonment, forced labor, and even military
sexual slavery. We cannot tolerate this
for anything.
For Koreans, Dokdo is a symbol of the
complete recovery of sovereignty. Along with homage by the Japanese leaders to
the Yaskuni Shrine and Japanese history textbooks, Dokdo is a touchstone of Japan’s
recognition of its past history as well as its determination for Korea-Japan
relations of future and peace in East
Asia.
As long as Japan
continues to glorify its past wrongs and claim rights based on such
history, friendly relations between Korea
and Japan
cannot be established properly. As long
as Japan
is clinging on to these issues, we will be unable to trust any of Japan’s
rhetoric concerning the future of Korea-Japan relations and peace in East
Asia.
No economic stake or cultural exchange will help break down this barrier.
Between Korea
and Japan,
the border to distinguish each nation’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is
yet to be firmly established. This is
due to Japan’s
territorial claim to Dokto and Japan
even insists upon drawing the EEZ line based on such a claim.
The issue of naming the underwater
geological formations of the East
Sea
is related to that of EEZ. While the two
nations are unable to form a consensus on the EEZ border, Japan
has unjustly and preemptively designated a name for underwater geological
formations within our own maritime zone and it is only our proper right to
rectify this matter.
Thus, so long as Japan
does not give up its unjust claims regarding the underwater geological
formations of the East
Sea,
addressing the EEZ matter can brook no further delay. Consequently, the matter of Dokdo can no
longer be dealt with quiet responses.
While there are, to be sure, certain
concerns about playing into Japan's
intent to turn Dokodo into a disputed area, Dokdo for us is not merely a matter
pertaining to territorial rights over tiny islets but is emblematic of bringing
closure to an unjust history in our relationship with Japan
and of the full consolidation of Korea's
sovereignty. It is a matter that calls
for a public and dignified response.
My fellow Koreans,
The government will revisit the entirety
of our response with regard to the matter of Dokdo. Together with the distortion of Japanese history
textbooks and visits to the Yasukuni shrine, the matter of Dokdo will be dealt
with head on. It will be reviewed in the
context of rectifying the historical record between Korea and
Japan and historical awareness building, our history of self-reliance and
independence, and the safeguarding of our sovereignty.
Physical provocations will be met with
strong and firm response. We will be
incessant in our efforts to debunk the unjust actions of the Japanese
Government before the world community and the Japanese people. We will continue to muster every measure of
our national strength and diplomatic resources until the day when the Japanese
government remedies these wrongdoings.
We will also undertake all other
necessary measures. For this is a matter
where no compromise or surrender is possible, whatever the costs and sacrifices
may be.
It is my hope that a series of actions
assumed by the Japanese government, which offend Korea's
history and detract from the dignity of the Korean people, are not grounded in
the general perception of the Japanese people.
For I believe the Japanese people are well aware of the truth that
actions, which jeopardize friendly relations between Korea and Japan as well as
peace in East Asia, are by no means righteous or in Japan's own interests. This
is why we must refrain from emotional responses and keep our calm.
I would like to request earnestly the
following of the people and leaders of Japan.
We are no longer demanding renewed
apologies. We are simply calling for
actions that would do justice to the apologies which have repeatedly been
made. We are asking for the cessation of
actions of seeking to glorify or legitimize its unjust history, which that offend
Korea's
sovereignty and the dignity of its people.
We are not demanding any special treatment for Korea
but actions keeping with the universal values and standards of the
international community. We are asking
for honesty and humility in the face of historical truth and the conscience of
humanity.
It is when Japan comports itself in
conformity with these standards towards its neighbors and the international
community as well that it will finally stand as a nation of maturity that
befits its economic size and as a nation that can assume a leading role in the
international community.
My fellow Koreans,
Despite the painful history wrought by
colonial rule, we have been continuously seeking to write a new history of good
neighborly relations and amity with Japan.
Under the shared aspirations of democracy and market economy, both
countries have made strides towards the goals of mutual benefit, equality,
peace and prosperity and have achieved vast developments in our relationship.
Both countries must now redouble our
efforts to ensure a lasting commitment to these shared aspirations and
goals. We must move forward beyond
bilateral relations and contribute jointly to the peace and prosperity not only
in Northeast Asia but also throughout the world. An honest recognition and settlement of history
as well as having trust in reciprocal respect for each other's sovereignty are
essential to this task.
Japan should stand tall by boldly
divesting the dark chapter in its history of past imperialist aggressions. We are awaiting Japan’s determination for
peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia of the 21st century and, furthermore,
peace in the world.
Thank you.
