President Lee Emphasizes "Victims' Wounds" While Maintaining Focus on Pragmatic Japan Diplomacy

President Lee Jae-myung stressed the need for South Korea-Japan cooperation during his Liberation Day congratulatory address today (August 15), emphasizing that such cooperation must be rooted in trust.

Speaking at the 81st Liberation Day ceremony held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, President Lee said, "At a time when South Korea-Japan cooperation is more important than ever, the light of the new bilateral relationship we are building must offer warm comfort to those who still endure pain in the shadow of history."

His emphasis on the heightened importance of South Korea-Japan cooperation stems from his assessment of the current global situation as a "great civilizational transition and upheaval in the international order," leading to the conclusion that cooperation with Japan, a neighboring country and like-minded nation, is indispensable.

President Lee outlined the direction of his administration's diplomacy toward Japan, stating, "Moving forward, the government will expand the horizons of cooperation for mutual benefit based on practical, national interest-driven diplomacy, and pool our wisdom to jointly address common challenges."

However, future-oriented cooperation was not the only point raised regarding relations with Japan.

Noting that "over the past year, South Korea and Japan have continued shuttle diplomacy to strengthen the foundation of trust," President Lee added, "For these achievements to be sustained without wavering, firm trust between the peoples of the two nations is needed above all else."

He also stressed that "trust comes from sincerity, which means understanding the pain of the other side and sympathizing with each other," noting that "there are still victims and bereaved families living with the wounds and suffering of the past to this day."

He reiterated, "At a time when South Korea-Japan cooperation is more important than ever, the light of the new relationship we are building must become a warm comfort to those who still endure pain in the shadow of history."

This is seen as an emphasis that for the efforts to build mutual trust since taking office—including summit meetings involving mutual hometown visits with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi—to bear fruit, it is ultimately essential to share and care for the suffering of the victims and their bereaved families.

President Lee remarked, "The history of South Korea-Japan relations has seen conflicts, but it has also witnessed efforts to open up the future based on the courage and sincerity to face the past squarely, such as the 1998 Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Joint Declaration."

He added, "Building upon this thicker layer of trust, I hope we can open a new 60 years of peace and prosperity together, moving from being 'close yet distant neighbors' to 'close and intimate neighbors.'"

This reaffirms his intent to maintain a "two-track approach"—consistently building public trust by addressing historical issues and urging corresponding efforts from Japan, while simultaneously pursuing economic cooperation for the future.

Nevertheless, as seen when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent ritual offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine this morning, with incumbent cabinet ministers and ruling Liberal Democratic Party executives visiting the shrine, Japan is expected to maintain its existing stance on historical issues.

Observers point out that now the South Korean side has proactively issued a future-oriented message, a forward-looking and active responsive measure from the Japanese side is required.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.