Address of President Roh Moo-hyun on 87th Anniversary of March First Independence Movement Day
It is quite a profound occasion to commemorate the 87th anniversary of the March First Independence Movement Day.
On this day in 1919, our fathers and mothers, and grandfathers and grandmothers rose up with bare fists to reclaim the nation. They stood up against the swords and guns of the Japanese, risking their lives in the honorable cause of national independence and self-reliance.
A public outcry for independent Korea that reverberated throughout the nation in 1919 showed the world the unyielding will of the Korean people to achieve independence and revived the suppressed spirit of the nation. It also lighted a beacon of hope for the peoples of colonized small and weak nations yearning for independence around the world.
The great spirit of the March First Independence Movement brought about the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai and further fueled independence campaign in and out of the country. Ultimately, we have reclaimed our nation.
I pay heartfelt homage to our patriotic forefathers who sacrificed themselves for the liberation of Korea. My profound respect and appreciation is also extended to their bereaved families and the honored patriots who contributed to the nation’s independence.
Fellow citizens,
On last year’s anniversary of the March First Independence Movement Day, I stressed that "Korea and Japan should settle the old scores of past history with verity and sincerity and march forward together on a path of genuine reconciliation and cooperation." Without resolving the historical misperception and emotional issues, the future of Northeast Asia as well as Korea-Japan relations cannot be guaranteed.
During the past year, however, not much change has been observed with regard to issues involving the Yaskuni shrine, distortion of history textbooks, and Dokdo Islet. Japan’s political leaders continue to pay homage to the shrine and the day when Dokdo was occupied by force as part of a war of invasion is being remembered.
In this regard, it is natural for the Korean people to be concerned whether Japan would justify her history of invasion and colonization and take the path of hegemony once again.
We are told that visiting the shrine is only to reaffirm determination to oppose another war and that it is a personal matter that other countries should not interfere with. Nonetheless, the significance of the words and acts of a nation’s leader is judged by their objective nature, not by the explanations offered by him or her. An act of a nation’s leader should be judged by the standard whether such act is proper in light of universal conscience and historical experience.
Japan has already apologized. We do not demand that they apologize again. We demand that they put their apology into practice. We oppose any act that in effect retracts an apology.
Instead of reiterating that "Suspicions raised by the neighboring countries are groundless," Japan should refrain from acting in a way that might arouse suspicions. Certain precedents as established and practiced by various countries including Germany can serve the standards.
If Japan aspires to become an "ordinary country" and even a "leading nation of the world," it should try to earn the trust of the international community by acting in conformity with universal standards for conscience and decency rather than seeking to amend laws and reinforcing its military power.
It is my belief that the minds of the majority of the Japanese public do not differ. We trust the conscience of the Japanese people and the great cause of history and we will continue to pursue our plea and demand.
Fellow citizens,
Issues of our own history should also need to be clarified.
We are now in the process of clarifying our history to uncover truth as a prerequisite to forgiveness and reconciliation, to resolve divisiveness stemming from past events, and to build a new society of trust and unity.
Meanwhile, these events of the past are still part of our own history. The process of clarifying past events leads us to speculate that a considerable number of historical events may still be kept in the dark or misreported.
To be able to urge the neighboring countries with a clear conscience that erroneous historical records be corrected, we must rectify any inaccuracy in our own history. The process of clarifying our history that we are undertaking now should be understood in this context and should proceed with this prospect in mind.
My fellow Koreans,
Let us remember the public outcry of the entire nation in one voice during the March First Independence Movement. Let us remember the spirit of the Korean people that became one on that day. Let us realize the dream of advanced Korea with that united power. Let us build a history of the magnificent Republic that our children and grandchildren shall be proud of.
Thank you.
웹사이트: http://www.president.go.kr
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2008년 8월 6일 17:22
