Wearing period hanbok, people commemorate the March 1, 1919 independence movement against Japanese colonial rule during its 93rd anniversary at a celebration held in front of Dongnimmun, or Independence Gate, in Seodaemun District, central Seoul yesterday. [NEWSIS]

President Lee Myung-bak yesterday implored Japan to redress the long-standing grievances over its wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women, warning that time is running out for Tokyo to settle what Seoul sees as an urgent humanitarian need.

Lee’s remarks came as Korea celebrated the 93rd anniversary of the March First Independence Movement Day, which marks the nation’s 1919 uprising against Japan’s colonial rule. In his commemorative speech, Lee made the latest in a series of appeals to Tokyo to confront its colonial past and compensate the former sex slaves, often called “comfort women.”

As young people of the two countries increasingly befriend each other, tasks still remain for Korea and Japan, Lee said.

“First and foremost, in order for the two nations to become true partners and work closely together, there has to be genuine courage and wisdom that does not neglect the truth of history,” he said. “Especially, the issue of comfort women is an important humanitarian task that should be resolved more urgently than any other issues.

“These women have harbored excruciating emotional pain all their lives,” Lee said. “Should these women pass away without seeing a settlement of the issue, the problem will not be resolved. On the contrary, Japan will be forever losing the opportunity to resolve it. That is the reason why I am urging the Japanese government to take a positive stance in solving the problem.”

The appeal was Lee’s second direct request to the Japanese government. Last December, he raised the issue directly for the first time in a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.

Lee’s latest appeal clearly indicated that Seoul is stepping up pressure on Tokyo. In his March First Independence Day address last year, Lee urged Japan to face its colonial past, but did not specifically raise the comfort women issue or demand an apology.

In previous years, Lee’s administration has refrained from raising the sensitive issue, based on its philosophy of pragmatic diplomacy. Its stance has changed dramatically over the past months.

While the comfort women issue was discussed more explicitly than ever in his address, Lee did not mention other sensitive matters between the two countries such as Japan’s approval of textbooks that whitewash its colonial history and territorial claims over Dokdo.

According to the Blue House, Lee also sent letters and gifts to the surviving victims as a promise of the government’s commitment to resolve the issue.

In the letters, Lee said he was extremely disappointed at the Japanese government’s attitude.

“I believe the Japanese government’s sincere apology to you is the most urgent of any diplomatic issue between the two countries,” Lee wrote. “That’s why I raised this issue alone at the Korea-Japan summit last December. It was an unprecedented move that went against diplomatic courtesy. I did it because I truly wanted to clearly address the issue.”

It remains to be seen how Tokyo will react to Lee’s latest move, as it previously has ignored pressure to compensate the aging victims. When Lee made the request of an apology and compensation during their December summit, Noda rejected the idea, saying the issue had been dealt with in the past. Japan has long said that all issues associated with its colonial rule were already settled in 1965 with a reparation package.


By Ser Myo-ja [myoja@joongang.co.kr]

한글 관련 기사

日에 큰 실망한 이 대통령 직접 사과 요구

李대통령, 위안부 피해자에 격려 서한ㆍ선물
"日정부 자세에 큰 실망..진정으로 사과해야"


이명박 대통령이 1일 93주년 3ㆍ1절을 맞아 일제강점기 종군 위안부 피해자들에게 서한과 선물을 보내 격려했다.

이 대통령은 서한에서 "(수요)집회가 1천회를 맞았던 지난해 12월 작은 소녀를 조각한 평화비를 세워 일본 정부의 반성과 화해를 촉구하셨지만, 여러분의 그 간절한 소망에 대한 일본 정부의 자세를 보고 저는 큰 실망을 느꼈다"고 말했다.

또 "일본 정부가 평생 마음에 아픔을 간직하고 살아온 여러분께 진정으로 사과하는 것이 한일간 다른 어떤 외교 현안보다도 시급하다"면서 "그래서 작년 12월 한일 정상회담에서 처음부터 끝까지 이 문제만 얘기했다"고 말했다.

이어 "이 일은 인간의 존엄성에 관한 것으로 우리 국민 모두의 일이자 양심을 가진 세계 모든 사람의 일"이라며 "할머니들 살아 생전에 마음의 한을 풀어드리지 못하면 일본은 영원히 이 문제를 해결할 기회를 놓치고 양심의 부채를 지고 갈 것"이라고 지적했다.

이 대통령은 "할머니들께서 보여주신 용기에 다시 한 번 높은 존경의 뜻을 표하면서 따뜻한 위로의 말씀을 드린다"고 격려했다.

이 대통령은 서울ㆍ경기 지역에 거주하는 피해자들에게 김석원 청와대 국민소통비서관, 김혜경 시민사회비서관, 이재인 여성가족비서관을 보내 직접 선물과 서한을 전달했고, 수도권 밖에 사는 피해자들에게는 택배로 보냈다.

선물은 고령의 여성들이 선호하는 국산 화장품과 꿀 세트로 구성됐다.

특히 위안부 피해자 쉼터인 경기도 광주 조계종 나눔의 집(8명)과 서대문구 충정로 한국정신대문제대책협의회(3명)에 거주하는 할머니들에게는 국산 한우와 굴비 세트가 추가로 전달됐다.(연합뉴스)