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| ▲ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (2nd from L) , Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (2nd from R), first lady Kim Keon Hee (L) and Kishida's wife, Yuko (R), pay tribute in front of a cenotaph for Korean victims of the Hiroshima atomic bombing at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21, 2023. (Yonhap) |
Yoon-atomic bomb victims
Yoon, Japan PM pay joint tribute to Korean atomic bomb victims
By Lee Haye-ah
HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid tribute to Korean victims of the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bombing on Sunday in a symbolic move demonstrating their commitment to improving bilateral ties.
The two leaders made a joint visit to a cenotaph honoring the Korean victims at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, marking the first visit by a South Korean president and the first joint visit by leaders of the two countries. Yoon was joined by first lady Kim Keon Hee, while Kishida was joined by his wife, Yuko.
Around 50,000 Koreans fell victim to the atomic bombing, including 30,000 killed, after many were brought to Japan to work as forced laborers during its 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, according to the Korea Atomic Bombs Victim Association.
Yoon, who arrived in Hiroshima on Friday to attend a Group of Seven summit, met with a group of Korean survivors that day.
The cenotaph was erected in 1970 with the funding of Korean residents in Japan and was initially located outside the park. In 1999, it was relocated to its current spot at the request of Korean residents and Japanese civic groups.
Bilateral relations have warmed significantly following South Korea's decision in March to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor on its own without asking for contributions from Japanese firms.
Yoon visited Tokyo in March for a summit with Kishida and the Japanese prime minister reciprocated earlier this month with a visit to Seoul, resuming so-called shuttle diplomacy between the two countries' leaders after 12 years.
How South Korea and Japan took an historic step on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima[https://youtu.be/q4C3Tmcn-LE]
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