Is Japans Apology a New Beginning?
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan apologized on Tuesday for Korea’s suffering under colonization as part of a statement marking the 100th anniversary of the annexation in 1910. “I express a renewed feeling of deep remorse and state my heartfelt apology for the tremendous damage and suffering caused by colonial rule,” Kan said. As a gesture of its commitment to a forward-looking relationship with Korea, the Japanese PM said his country will soon return royal records of national and court ceremonies from the Chosun Dynasty. Kan said Japan colonized Korea “against the will of the Korean people” who suffered great damage to their national pride and loss of culture and sovereignty as a result and added that he wants to take an honest look at his country’s past with the courage and humility to address its history. Kan’s statement contains elements that could be perceived as being more sincere in terms of repentance than the apologies of former Japanese prime ministers. Kan’s apology was view
