China, South Korea reject complaint from Japan over statue of assassin
China and S Korea reject complaint from Japan over proposed memorial to activist who killed colonial governor more than a century ago
China and South Korea have rebuffed Japan's objections to its plans to build a statue in China to commemorate an independence activist who assassinated the Japanese governor of Korea more than a century ago.
Ahn Jung-geun, who shot Hirobumi Ito on the platform at Harbin's railway station in October 1909, is widely regarded as a hero in Korea, but as a terrorist in Japan. Ahn was later executed.
Details of the plan for a memorial to Ahn were discussed in a meeting in Seoul on Monday between Park Geun-hye, the South Korean president, and Chinese state councillor Yang Jiechi . According to media reports, Park expressed her gratitude for China's co-operation with the proposal.
In a press conference in Tokyo yesterday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga described Ahn as a criminal.
"This is not good for Japan-South Korea relations," he said, adding that Tokyo's position that Ahn carried out a criminal act has been conveyed to the South Korean government.
[Japan should] reflect on what kind of figure Hirobumi Ito was
Both Beijing and Seoul fired back almost immediately.