Chinanews.com, March 2 (Zhang Naiyue and He Luman) "In the past century of the 'March 1 Movement', Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor in the past to sharing universal values ​​with us and working together on economic security and global issues. partner."

　　On March 1, local time, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yue attended and delivered a speech at the commemorative ceremony of the "104th Anniversary of the March First Independence Movement" held in Seoul.

This is the first time Yin Xiyue has delivered a commemorative speech on March 1st since he became president.

On March 1, 2023, South Korean President Yin Xiyue delivered a speech at the commemorative ceremony of the "104th Anniversary of the March First Independence Movement".

　　Under the background that Japan has been downplaying the forced recruitment of comfort women and labor during World War II and evading historical guilt, Yoon Xiyue's remarks about Japan as a "cooperative partner" made South Korea angry.

"Aggressor" becomes "partner"?

　　On March 1, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yue sent a "signal" to Japan, hoping that the two countries would abandon historical grievances and become "cooperative partners with common universal values."

　　After Yin Xiyue came to power in May 2022, he worked hard to mend relations between South Korea and Japan and develop trilateral security cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Data map: South Korean President Yin Xiyue.

　　In his speech, he emphasized that in the face of complex global crises and the severe situation on the Korean Peninsula, the cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan is more important than ever.

"We should unite and cooperate with countries that share universal values, and contribute to expanding the freedom of citizens around the world and realizing common global prosperity."

　　Japan colonized the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

On March 1, 1919, the "March 1 Movement" against Japanese colonial rule broke out on the Korean Peninsula.

In 1949, the South Korean government designated March 1 as a national legal memorial day.

　　Although Yin Xiyue emphasized in his speech that the "disgraceful and sad history" should not be forgotten, he did not mention sensitive issues such as the compensation claim for Japan's forced labor from South Korea that is being negotiated between South Korea and Japan.

　　According to Korean media, on March 1, 2022, Yin Xiyue, who was still a presidential candidate at the time, said that the spirit of the "March 1 Movement" "is not an unconditional anti-Japanese and anti-Japanese."

"Worst Memorial Word in History"

　　Yin Xiyue's relevant speech was severely criticized by all walks of life, which caused an uproar in South Korea.

　　Lee Jae-myung, leader of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, said on the 1st: "The Yoon Seok-yue government has forgotten the spirit of the 'March 1 Movement' and is destroying it."

　　"Although there is no national opposition to the establishment of future-oriented South Korea-Japan relations, it is impossible to build trust (with Japan) without historical responsibility and reasonable legal compensation." Lee Jae-myung said.

　　He added: "If the Yoon Seok-yue government wants to go against peace and national interests, we will do our best to contain it."

Data map: Li Zaiming.

　　Li Zaiming emphasized: "Only by correcting the past can we move forward correctly."

　　Justice Party representative Lee Jung-mi pointed out that Yoon Seok-wook's speech was "the worst commemorative speech in history" and "the will to settle the past can't be found anywhere."

　　She also said that Yin Xiyue made "all aspects of people's livelihood and economy, which are already very difficult, in trouble."

In addition, she pointed out, “The Yoon Seok-yue administration has blindly joined the US’s ‘New Cold War’ strategy and is engaging in military cooperation with Japan that the previous administrations did not dare to think about.”

Protests in South Korea: "Stop humiliating diplomacy"

　　On the same day, dozens of South Korean people gathered near the Japanese embassy in Seoul. They tore up a banner with the image of Japan's "sun flag" and demanded that the government of Yoon Suk-yue stop negotiations with Japan on the issue of forced labor .

　　Some South Korean people waved the Korean flag, chanted slogans, and sang songs to commemorate the 1919 independence movement at the History Museum of Seodaemun Prison in Seoul.

This historical museum is a museum converted from a prison in the colonial period, recording the atrocities committed by the Japanese army.

On March 1, 2023, South Korean people gathered near the Japanese embassy in Seoul, holding protest banners with slogans such as "Stop humiliating diplomatic Korea-Japan agreement".

　　At a rally in front of the Japanese embassy, ​​94-year-old former comfort woman Lee Yong-soo called for a solution to the comfort women issue.

She pointed out that "Yin Xiyue promised to solve (the comfort women issue) when he ran for president." She asked the Yin Xiyue government to negotiate with the Japanese side and let the Japanese government provide legal compensation and historical education.

　　The 93-year-old Liang Jinde also appealed: "We must get an apology and compensation (from Japan). Let's fight together." She is one of the plaintiffs who filed a compensation lawsuit against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for being forced to work during World War II.

　　"Interrupt the humiliating diplomacy agreement between South Korea and Japan, urge Japan to apologize for colonial rule, oppose the discharge of Fukushima nuclear wastewater, and oppose military cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan." Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, people gathered on the occasion of the "104th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement" Shout slogans in protest.

　　Some civic groups said: "Not only did the current regime fail to properly account for the history, but it pushed forward the humiliating and deceitful South Korea-Japan agreement, which runs counter to the independent and peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. We will focus on the anger and determination of the people in the region and strongly condemn the current regime."

"New Enmity, Old Enmity" between South Korea and Japan

　　Since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than half a century ago, the relationship between South Korea and Japan has experienced ups and downs, and many difficult contradictions lie between the two countries.

——The Case of Forced Labor in Japan

　　During World War II, Japan's forced labor compensation from South Korea was called the "biggest unsolved case" between South Korea and Japan.

On March 1, 2023, Liang Jinde, a victim of forced labor in Japan, participated in a rally in Seoul.

　　In order to solve this problem, the South Korean government proposed that the Korean consortium pay the compensation instead of the Japanese company, called on the Japanese side to apologize sincerely, and persuaded the Japanese company to participate in raising compensation.

　　This plan has been criticized in South Korea. The South Korean plaintiff in the case of forced labor said, "I don't know whether the (South Korean) president is doing things for Japan or for South Korea." He did not hesitate to carry out "humiliating diplomacy" on the issue of labor claims.

——Comfort women issue

　　The issue of comfort women, which originated during World War II, is also a problem that the South Korean government and people have been trying to solve.

Data map: Korean and Japanese non-governmental organizations in Germany held a rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, urging the Japanese government to formally apologize to the victims of the atrocities committed by the "comfort women" system and make compensation.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Peng Dawei

　　Since 1992, South Korean people have held "Wednesday Rally" to demand an apology and compensation from the Japanese government on the issue of comfort women. So far, more than 1,500 times have been held.

　　In December 2015, the Japanese government and the then South Korean government of Park Geun-hye reached the "Korea-Japan Comfort Women Agreement." The Japanese government contributed 1 billion yen, and the South Korean government set up a "Reconciliation and Healing Foundation" to distribute money to the victims. solatium.

However, the terms of the agreement that the South Korean government can no longer mention the comfort women issue, and Japan's failure to make a formal apology and compensation have aroused dissatisfaction among the South Korean people.

　　After the Yun Xiyue government came to power, the division of speeches about "comfort women" in Korean society intensified.

- island dispute

　　For a long time, on the issue of the sovereignty of the disputed islands, South Korea and Japan have not compromised an inch on their respective positions.

Data map: Disputed islands between Japan and South Korea (called "Takeshima" in Japan and "Dokdo" in South Korea).

　　The "Takeshima" called by Japan is an island group located in the eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula, east of Ulleungdo Island, and South Korea calls it "Dokdo".

Since 1953, South Korea has actually controlled the island and administratively placed it under Ulleung-gun, North Gyeongsang Province.

Japan has claimed sovereignty over the disputed island in the "Defense White Paper" for 18 consecutive years.

　　The South Korean government has repeatedly reiterated that Japan's unreasonable claims will not have any impact on South Korea's sovereignty over "Dokdo", and South Korea will resolutely respond to any provocations initiated by Japan.

—— Oppose the discharge of nuclear wastewater

　　The Korean people expressed strong protest against the Japanese government's formal decision to filter and dilute the nuclear wastewater and discharge it into the sea.

Data map: TEPCO Fukutori Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

　　South Korea's opposition party set up a "protest group to stop the discharge of Fukushima nuclear wastewater", planning to urge the South Korean government to file a lawsuit with the International Tribunal of the Sea and ask the Japanese government to cancel the nuclear wastewater discharge plan.

　　The group criticized Japan's "irresponsible" discharge of sewage into the sea, and proposed that if the Japanese government discharges nuclear wastewater as originally planned, South Korean waters will continue to be threatened by radioactive pollution from the end of 2023.

　　The South Korean expert meeting condemned that Japan did not "discharge" nuclear wastewater, but "discard" nuclear wastewater.