Top S Korean official offers to quit over bungled military pact with Japan

Politics Jul. 06, 2012 - 07:00AM JST ( 24 )

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24 Comments

5

KariHarukaJul. 06, 2012 - 08:00AM JST

I'm sorry but its about time Koreans move on from what happened for the sake of improving military relations which could be of great help with the threat of North Korea.
0

just-a-bigguyJul. 06, 2012 - 08:38AM JST

In South Korea more people sympathy the Northern brothers rather than US, Japan these two big satans!
-6

just-a-bigguyJul. 06, 2012 - 08:59AM JST

Those opposition voices were reasonable, in the Korean's perspective no matter how evil was the North Korean regieme, they were sill brothers and they were no where to compare the atrocities Japan has done! Japan has murdered the Korean late queen 'Lees' in 1910 that until now apology is still no where! The North making nukes is good for Koreans if aiming at Japan only! And Lee Myung-Bak's attempt to sign the deal with Japan will further strengthen the North's propaganda that Lee is a traitor!
6

YuriOtaniJul. 06, 2012 - 12:34PM JST

just a big guy, I will NEVER apologize for the actions of my ancestors! It does not last a day before it is censored upon by the Koreans. All of the people who "invaded" Korea are dead, soon all of the occupiers in 45 will be dead soon. My grandparents are long dead, my parents were children and I was born 13.5 years after the wars end. Still in every article about Japan and Korea "Many older Koreans have bitter memories of Japan’s brutal rule and military cooperation". As long as Korea hates Japan, a treaty is impossible and Japan should become NEUTRAL to the civil war in Korea supporting neither side with the exception of humanitarian assistance.
-9

Thomas AndersonJul. 06, 2012 - 12:40PM JST

YuriOtani

All of the people who "invaded" Korea are dead, soon all of the occupiers in 45 will be dead soon.

Gotta love how you put quotations around "invaded"... Admit it YuriOtani you are just biased.
3

YuriOtaniJul. 06, 2012 - 01:00PM JST

Well Thomas they had a lot of help from traitors within Korea. You must understand the Japanese who did this dirty deed are guilty. So how does acknowledging Japans past ill deeds make me biased? The traitors exchanged the overall good for Korea for benefits for themselves. I do not believe the occupation would of been successful without the traitors. However this does not get Japan of the time off the hook but more guilty.

I support article #9 and Japan should never use aggression or the threat of aggression. As long as Japan is not attacked there should be no conflict. Oh as always all claims to the rocks should be stopped. They belong now to the ROK and Japan needs to pull this thorn to relations.
1

WakarimasenJul. 06, 2012 - 01:33PM JST

They may not be able to fight on the same side but they can still go whaling together.
-5

tmarieJul. 06, 2012 - 02:35PM JST

I will NEVER apologize for the actions of my ancestors!

Which is exactly why Japan is hated and not trusted by so many world wide.

**All of the people who "invaded" Korea are dead, soon all of the occupiers in 45 will be dead soon. **

You know that for a fact?? I highly doubt it.

And no need for "". Japan did indeed INVADE Korea.
-2

JimizoJul. 06, 2012 - 03:33PM JST

The North Korean propaganda machine must be dangerously overheating. The traitorous south, a puppet of the Yankee Empire, tries to strike a military deal with the army of butchers who brutalized them. Unfortunately, some ROK citizens seem to sympathize with some of those ideas. @Wakarimasen - you're right. Maybe joint hunting trips with gallons of Jinro and J-porn DVDs.
0

billyshearsJul. 06, 2012 - 04:34PM JST

Which is exactly why Japan is hated and not trusted by so many world wide.

"world wide"? Is that really true? Do you hate Japan too?
-6

NetNinjaJul. 06, 2012 - 04:52PM JST

KariHaruka

I don't think S. Korea has to do anything for Japan. They owe you nothing. You owe them a lot.

You are not interested in Koreans at all. You seek to use them as you would anybody else. You simply want to keep Kane and Abel at each other's throats. You love the divide. A United Korea would be a threat to you. It would give S. Korea it's military.

The only reason you seek to make your deal with S. Korea now is because there's new leadership in the North. A young man is at the helm. It is his time to build his own legacy and that legacy may be to renew ties with the South which your government secretly fears.

History has periods of darkness and then there are periods where the land is lush and the harvest is good. If North and South unite they could emerge from the darkness. That's what you fear.

Blood is thicker than water. If S. Korea should make a military pact with anybody it should be their brethren. Not a selfish invader.

Sorry Haruka but I hope Japan gets what it deserves.
-2

billyshearsJul. 06, 2012 - 04:54PM JST

I'm sorry but its about time Koreans move on from what happened for the sake of improving military relations which could be of great help with the threat of North Korea.

i think it's a fact that it's going to be impossible for some people to "move on". Apparently, there are plenty of people around Eastern Europe who still hold a severe grudge and hatred against Germany and Russia; but there comes a time when it necessary for the benefit of all concerned (and the general promotion of world peace) for governments to try to "move on" with bilateral agreements and peace treaties.
3

KariHarukaJul. 06, 2012 - 06:26PM JST

You are not interested in Koreans at all. You seek to use them as you would anybody else. You simply want to keep Kane and Abel at each other's throats. You love the divide. A United Korea would be a threat to you. It would give S. Korea it's military. The only reason you seek to make your deal with S. Korea now is because there's new leadership in the North. A young man is at the helm. It is his time to build his own legacy and that legacy may be to renew ties with the South which your government secretly fears.

We have a mind reader!! /sarcasm

First off I'm a gaijin so I don't have this mentality which you assume Japanese people have. Secondly I'd much rather see a united Korea for the sake of peace and also for the Koreans in the north who are suffering at the hands of a regime which should be ashamed of itself.

You reckon Kim's fat son will try to be different and improve ties with Koreans in the South? So why is it hes carried off straight from where his father left his work?

Just pissed on your bonfire I think.
2

billyshearsJul. 06, 2012 - 06:44PM JST

It would give S. Korea it's military.

South Korea already has it's military.

The only reason you seek to make your deal with S. Korea now is because there's new leadership in the North. A young man is at the helm. It is his time to build his own legacy and that legacy may be to renew ties with the South which your government secretly fears.

The "young man at the helm" is nothing more than a puppet figurehead for the military leaders of North Korea and their Chinese allies. There`s no logical reason why Japan would fear a democratically united Korea. It would be a huge benefit for the whole area (except maybe for the Chinese government who have always feared the specter of a democracy on their doorstep).

Sorry Haruka but I hope Japan gets what it deserves.

And what do you think Japan "deserves"?
-4

tmarieJul. 06, 2012 - 07:17PM JST

"world wide"? Is that really true? Do you hate Japan too?

It is really true? Indeed, many have issues with Japan.

Do I hate Japan? If I did I certain wouldn't be living in Japan and married to a Japanese national, would I? Being sick of Japan's victim mentality is not the same as hating Japan....
-3

billyshearsJul. 06, 2012 - 07:40PM JST

Indeed, many have issues with Japan.

I don't think too many Europeans or South Americans have many issues with present-day Japan although I'm willing to stand corrected, given proof. Japan came in 16th in this list of most hated countries:

http://www.the-top-tens.com/lists/most-hated-countries.asp

Do I hate Japan? If I did I certain wouldn't be living in Japan and married to a Japanese national, would I?

I saw research once which showed that, even though they hate the country and culture, there are many ex-pats around the world (and some married to a native of that particular country) who continue to live in such countries because of circumstances such as job and/or family commitments, an inability to return to their own country or merely because it was their best economical option in their lives.
1

KariHarukaJul. 06, 2012 - 08:46PM JST

That list looks like it was written by a total idiot.
0

billyshearsJul. 06, 2012 - 11:56PM JST

That list looks like it was written by a total idiot.

That should be plural: total idiots. Certainly not the most scientific of surveys; but it is kind of indicative of some the irrational hatreds that some people build up in their minds, often through the influence (or brainwashing) of other haters. Sadly, sometimes these irrational hatreds are strong enough to stop the enactment of pacts between countries.
1

YuriOtaniJul. 07, 2012 - 02:02AM JST

tmarie, I feel that apologizing is taking personal responsibility for the wrong. I do not deny that the Imperial government did many evil things but if Korea has missed it. There has been a new government in Tokyo for oh 65 some years. This government has not wronged ROK. The current members of the Japanese government have not wronged ROK. While they claim the Liancourt Rocks, they has never been an attempt to take Liancourt Rocks by force. True the three "lawmakers" try to enter ROK and if they made it through the airport would of defeated the entire ROK army and impose Imperial rule but they did not represent the Democratic Japanese government. So the way I see it we need to keep our heads high while remembering the wrongs of our ancestors and NEVER to repeat them. Again the people of modern Japan are innocent by the government and people of ROK treat us as guilty. There will NEVER be any progress until this changes.
1

YuriOtaniJul. 07, 2012 - 11:45AM JST

Net Ninja, my ancestors were farmers and fishermen. As far as I know none of them were in the military. How do I think like the old Imperial thugs?
-1

tmarieJul. 07, 2012 - 03:11PM JST

Billy, perhaps you could speak to some folks abotu things like whaling, the history textbooks in schools... and see the reactions of those you are claiming don't have an issue.

And indeed, a rather silly list.

Yuri, you want to have your cake and eat it to. When it is good for you, you want to go back to history and demand that japan gets something. When it doesn't work for you, you refuse to acknowledge history and tell people they need to move on. Which is it? You seem to think those islands are Japanese with regards to Russia based on past "ownership" and yet here...
-1

KariHarukaJul. 07, 2012 - 04:37PM JST

tmarie rightful ownership to a group of islands is totally different to people demanding apologies from people for what their ancestors did.
-1

billyshearsJul. 08, 2012 - 12:25AM JST

history textbooks in schools.

You need to check out the truth about the vast majority of history textbooks used in Japanese high schools...it's all there: the comfort women, the Nanking massacre etc. At least get properly informed, otherwise you`ll run the danger of getting eaten up with irrational prejudices.
-1

billyshearsJul. 08, 2012 - 12:27AM JST

...just like those on the silly list.