Substance Is Thin at Summit

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Substance Is Thin at Summit

President Kim Dae-jung and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan agreed Monday to form a "joint history research council" that will attempt to reconcile widely differing historical accounts of past relations between the two countries.

The agreement on such a council was seen as salvaging something from a summit meeting which made little evident progress on other points of contention between the two neighbors.

The Blue House spokesman, Oh Hong-keun, said working-level officials would meet to discuss how to set up the council, which will include historians from both countries.

Mr. Koizumi paid a whirlwind seven-hour trip to Korea, a trip that he initiated. The two leaders discussed a range of the looming issues ?Seoul's saury fishing in waters off the southern Kuril Islands, and Japan's plans to dispatch military units to assist in the U.S.-led anti-terrorist campaign. Also on the agenda on Monday were festering issues stemming from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea - in particular, Japan's imprimatur on controversial secondary school textbooks in April and Mr. Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni War Shrine, which honors, among others, several prominent Japanese war criminals.

Concerning that visit, Mr. Koizumi said, "We will review possible ways so that people can pay respect to the Japan's war dead, free of burden."

Korean officials construed the remark positively. "Perhaps he will build a memorial for the war dead that does not house the Class-A criminals," a senior official said.

On the South's saury fishing rights off the waters off Southern Kuril Islands, Mr. Kim said, "Talks between Japan and Russia should not damage our traditional fishing rights."

In response, Mr. Koizumi said, "I hope for sincere talks so that we can come up with a rational solution through dialogue."

Mr. Koizumi stressed that the Japanese military, called "self-defense forces," will not engage in combat or go near the vicinity of combat zones. Mr. Kim stressed that the deployment should be done "within the boundaries of Japan's pacifist constitution."

The two leaders met for about two hours beginning at 10:30 a.m. They were joined by senior aides at noon.

Before visiting the Blue House, Mr. Koizumi visited a colonial-era prison in the Seodaemun district where Korean independence fighters were imprisoned and sometimes tortured. "I can not find words to express what is in my anguish-laden mind, but as Japan's prime minister, today, I had a glimpse at unfavorable history.

"I looked around with a feeling of heartfelt apology and repentance about the many pains Koreans suffered because of Japanese colonial rule," the prime minister said. Mr. Kim hailed the visit, but added, "These words should be translated into action in the future."

A Blue House official, speaking on background, said, "The meeting provided an important opportunity to restore stalled relations." Others, including civic groups on both the left and the right, were unimpressed, and the National Assembly made it clear that Mr. Koizumi was not welcome there. The government had demanded that Mr. Koizumi apologize for his visit to the shrine and forswear any plans for a return visit. He did neither.

The two leaders discussed visa exemptions during next year's World Cup football tournament, and agreed to meet again on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting next month in Shanghai.



by Kim Jin-kook

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