S. Korea concerned about Japan's historical narrative

SEOUL — South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik has raised concerns about Japan's perception of history.

In response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent claim that Dokdo is Japanese territory historically and under international law, Woo said on social media that the Japanese government has expanded the "territorial sovereignty exhibition hall", which asserts sovereignty over the Dokdo islets.

Since the hall's opening in 2018, South Korea has continued to demand its closure, but Japan recently added an educational space to the hall in an apparent attempt to instill incorrect perceptions in future generations, he said.

"For a future-oriented and stable relationship between (South) Korea and Japan, three pillars must stand firm: facing the painful history squarely, deepening economic cooperation and cooperating as partners for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia."

South Korea would host its own memorial ceremony for Korean victims of forced labor at the Sado Island Gold Mines this year, he said, as Japan made no mention of "forced labor" in its memorial address.

Thousands of Koreans were forced by Imperial Japan into heavy labor in the gold mine, which was turned into facilities to manufacture war-related materials during World War II, when the Korean Peninsula was under Japan's colonization, South Korean historians say.

Woo also voiced concerns about recent moves by Japan to revise its so-called peace constitution, which is unacceptable not only to South Korea but also to all neighboring countries, as it shakes the foundation of the peace order in East Asia by transforming Japan into a war-capable country.

South Korea has long protested against Japan's renewed territorial claims to the disputed islets, located halfway between the two countries, which are known as Dokdo by South Korea and Takeshima by Japan.

South Korea restored its sovereignty over Dokdo after the Korean Peninsula's liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese colonization. It has since been in effective control of the islets, with a small police detachment deployed.

Joint drill halted

Meanwhile, the South Korean Navy has informed Japan that it will not participate in a joint search and rescue drill with Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force scheduled for later this month, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Monday, citing government sources from both countries.

The withdrawal is believed to be related to Japan's recent cancellation of planned refueling support for South Korean Air Force planes at a Self-Defense Forces base. This cancellation followed revelations that South Korea had conducted training flights near Dokdo.

Xinhua