The fact that the treaty between Korea and Japan signed in 1965 was a humiliating product of "begging diplomacy" has been confirmed as a result of the release of documents relating to the treaty negotiations. The military regime of Park Chung Hee threw pride, rights, and the slightest sense of justice aside as it became engrossed in getting an outrageously petty number of pennies from Japan.
The talks began in 1951, but Korea had suffered greatly under the repression of colonial rule by Japan, and it would be hard to find negotiations that were made as difficult because of the differences Korea and Japan had with each other. Park's military regime took over in 1961, and in 1961 Kim Jong Pil, then head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. The situation turned around when Kim met with Japan's foreign minister in Tokyo and signed the "Kim-Ohira Memo."
The results of the "begging diplomacy" that was pursued as if in a desperate hurry were miserable. It left all sorts of restricting complications, from the issue of reparations for people forcibly recruited by the Japanese government to the question of "comfort women" and the Sakhalin Koreans, and also with issues such as the inclusion of a clause recognizing the Republic of Korea as the only legitimate government on the Korean peninsula, the return of cultural artifacts, the legal status of Koreans in Japan, and Dokdo Island. The fact that they failed to have the treaty state that Japan's annexation of Korea was legally invalid gave Japan room to claim that its colonial rule was legal, and that, too, is especially painful.
The military regime proposed to the Japanese that a third country be entrusted with arbitrating the Dokdo question, and the year after the treaty was signed, it asked the Japanese government to provide permanent burial for the remains of Koreans forcibly conscripted by Japan whom lacked any kin. Shocking news, and it makes you wonder whether the regime was the government of Korea or Japan.
As the leading actor in the treaty process, Kim Jong Pil must now tell all. And he must apologize. He was in Japan when the documents were released, and for a while postponed his return. He is avoiding making a response, saying he only got things started and has nothing to say. The background behind why the treaty was forced along to the point the regime imposed martial law to suppress the demonstrations against it must be revealed, particularly whether it was done because of the needs of a military regime weak in the area of legitimacy or because of coaxing by a United States that wanted to build security cooperation between itself, Korea, and Japan. Having been party to the "memo," Kim is committing the same sin twice by not telling all that relates to the truth when even today the victims of forced conscription are crying out in grief.
The Hankyoreh, 27January 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Time For Kim Jong Pil To Tell All |
