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The comments President Roh Moo-hyun directed towards Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in his official speech on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the March First Movement were not in the text prepared by his staff.
Roh's comments are being seen as rather unusual for him, in that during his first year in office he has repeatedly stressed that "the current times and the future are more important than the past." One official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, perhaps concerned the president's statement would ignite diplomatic issues, said later in the day that Roh's comments were "a statement of principles not directly targeted at Prime Minister Koizumi.
Korea's opposition parties attacked Roh's comments for not being strong enough. Grand National Party (GNP) spokesperson Eun Jin-su said that it was unclear "who Korea's talking about" when "China's government spokesman mentions Prime Minister Koizumi by name."
"If President Roh's attack on the Japanese Prim Minister is an attempt to score points by taking advantage of recent anti-Japanese sentiment among the people," said Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) spokesman Jang Jeon-hyeong, "then he is admitting that he is not qualified as national leader."
In addition to his criticism of the Japanese leader, Roh also said that "unless the past is not settled cleanly, a new cause of a new history will not stand," and that "many historical facts and truths still remain buried."
"Just as the whole country overcame its differences during the March First Movement," said Roh. "Let us examine ourselves with new historical perspective, and create the wisdom to forgive and reconcile."
Speaking about the planned moving of a United States Forces Korea (USFK) installation in Seoul's Yongsan district, Roh said the base was a "symbol of interference, invasion, and dependence" but will "return to the hands of the people."
"Sovereignty will gradually be strengthened and the Republic of Korea will return to the arms of the populace as a respectable independent state," he said. But he added that "We cannot be measured by whether we're pro-American or anti-American."
Shin Jeong-rok, jrshin@chosun.com
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