South Korea's President Park says no point in Japan summit
Outrage at Tokyo's perceived reluctance to show sincere remorse compounded by a territorial rift
President Park Geun-hye has painted a bleak picture of South Korea’s current and future ties with Japan - a key ally in efforts to rein in North Korea’s nuclear programme.
In an interview with the BBC, Park suggested a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would be pointless given Tokyo’s refusal to apologise for Japan’s “past wrongdoings”.
Abuses carried out during Japan’s repressive 1910-45 colonial rule remain a source of deep anger and resentment in South Korea, particularly the treatment of women forced to work as “comfort women” in wartime Japanese military brothels.
Outrage at Japan’s perceived reluctance to show sincere remorse and offer adequate reparations has been compounded by a territorial rift over a crop of rocky islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
“None of these cases have been resolved or addressed,” Park said in the interview broadcast on Monday ahead of an upcoming state visit to Britain.
“If Japan continues to stick to the same historical perceptions and repeat its past comments, then what purpose would a summit serve? Perhaps it would be better not to have one,” she said.