Japan’s comments worse than typhoon
I tied the chair to a young cherry tree and disassembled and put away the umbrella and benches. I covered the windows with newspapers and duct tape.
After the “typhoon proofing,” I left my house in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi. I had been thinking I would stay in my house, but the warnings were so dire that I decided to spend a day in Seoul. I turned on the radio. The typhoon passed through the Jeolla region at 9 a.m. and landed in Hwanghae at 3 p.m.
I am concerned about the people in North Korea, especially about whether they were prepared. I never liked the North Korean leaders, who are aggressive, stubborn, hostile, cruel and reckless, but I feel very close to the people of North Korea.
A few days ago, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto made a remark denying the that the so-called “comfort women” were forced into sexual slavery by the imperial Japanese army in World War II. The Korean Central News Agency responded with harsh words, denouncing the Japanese politician for “denying the crimes of the past” and “shamelessly revealing moral inferiority.”
The news agency did not hesitate to say, “mad rampage of invasion in the last century” and “unbearable insult.” I felt glad. You may always fight with your brothers and sisters at home, but when your sibling gets into a fight with other people, you stick together and help each other. It feels almost like a reckless brother fighting for the gentle sister who is too reserved to say such harsh words. Whenever the brazen thief picks a fight, I want the short-tempered brother to fight aggressively. As we stick together and fight for each other, we may become close and friendly in no time.
The Sankei Shimbun reported on Aug. 29 that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would reconsider three statements of repentance concerning Japan’s past if he took power. His grandfather on his mother’s side, Nobuske, was charged as a war criminal and served as prime minister. He wanted to revise the three statements - Miyazawa’s considerate depiction of neighboring countries in a textbook, Kono’s apology for forcibly mobilizing comfort women and Murayama’s apology for colonial invasion and rule - because “excessive consideration for neighboring countries does not lead to a true sense of friendship.” The Japanese politicians seem to be competing to be harsh and hostile to Korea whenever their approval ratings fall.
How dare they say that excessive consideration does not lead to true friendship? They are so shameless and audacious. They don’t know what it means to be considerate, and we Koreans have had enough.
Typhoon Bolaven has withdrawn. We can put newspapers and duct tape on the windows to resist the powerful typhoon, but is there any way to block the thoughtless, ludicrous comments of Japan?
* The author is a guest columnist of the JoongAng Ilbo.
by Eom Eul-soon
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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