▲ Ruling People Power party floor leader Yun Jae-ok (C) talks during a party meeting on May 9, 2023. (Yonhap)

PPP-summit reaction

Ruling party calls for moving past colonial-era issues with Japan

SEOUL, May 9 (Yonhap) -- The ruling People Power Party (PPP) called Tuesday for moving past colonial-era issues with Japan, as it touted this week's summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

"We should not give up on the future, caught up in the issues of the past. As South Korea and Japan walk towards a future together, there shall come a time when the two countries can share history with one another," PPP floor leader Yun Jae-ok said during a party meeting earlier in the day.

Trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan is key to South Korea's security, he said.

"South Korea will only be able to guarantee its survival by fostering trilateral security cooperation among the United States and Japan, especially in the face of the ever-advancing nuclear threats from North Korea."

Sunday's summit between Yoon and Kishida marked the full resumption of "shuttle diplomacy" of regular visits between the leaders after years of frayed relations over rows stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, including the issue of forced labor.

After the summit, Kishida also expressed regret over the issue of Japan's wartime forced labor, which had been the biggest thorn in relations between the two countries, saying his "heart aches" for those who suffered under harsh conditions at the time.

It was the first time Kishida has made such a remark.

Relations between South Korea and Japan began to thaw after Yoon offered to resolve the forced labor issue by compensating victims on South Korea's own without asking for contributions from Japan. The decision led to Yoon visiting Tokyo in March.

Though Kishida's remark falls short of a direct apology, Yun said it still represents a step forward.

Rep. Park Dae-chul, head of the PPP's Policy Committee, echoed Yun's assessment, saying Korea-Japan relations are "back on track" thanks to the two-day summit.

Park also criticized the previous Moon Jae-in administration, saying its hostile foreign policy toward Tokyo frayed relations with Japan, while expressing hopes for building closer ties with Tokyo based on trust.

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