South Korean acting President and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok speaks during a ceremony of the 106th Independence Movement Day, marking the 1919 civilian uprising against Japanese rule, which colonized the Korean peninsula from 1910-1945, at Soongeui Women's University in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday. Image:Chung Sung-Jun/Pool Photo via AP)

Acting S Korean president hopeful for 'new chapter' with Japan

01 Mar 2025, 07:25 · Japan Today

SEOUL — South Korea's acting president, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok, expressed hope Saturday that his nation and Japan can open a new chapter in their bilateral relationship by healing wounds of the past and celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization.

Choi made the remarks during a government ceremony commemorating the 1919 independence movement against Japan's colonial rule on behalf of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is mired in impeachment and criminal trials over his short-lived martial law declaration in early December.

As South Korea and Japan celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic normalization this year, Choi said he hopes "the two countries can heal the painful wounds of the past together and open a new chapter in their relationship," while reiterating the importance of bilateral cooperation as a pathway to respond to global challenges.

Bilateral ties between the two countries have recently experienced ups and downs, particularly after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 upheld rulings requiring Japanese companies to compensate South Korean plaintiffs for forced labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

However, relations improved following the announcement of a plan proposed by Yoon's administration in 2023 that offered compensation to plaintiffs through a government-backed fund, rather than seeking direct redress from Japanese companies.

Japan has maintained that all issues related to the colonial period were "completely and finally" resolved under a 1965 bilateral agreement that normalized diplomatic relations.

Referring to North Korea, Choi said its continued provocations are posing a grave threat to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole.

The government will maintain a posture of military readiness based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance to deter North Korea's provocations, while keeping the door open to dialogue, he added.

North Korea has recently demolished a facility used for reunions of families separated by the 1950-1953 Korean War, built by the South in 2008.