Pyongyang, January 17 (KCNA) -- If Japan has a shred of foresight and sense, it should totally reexamine the Korea policy it has so far pursued and renounce its reckless hostile policy toward the DPRK at once. And it should immediately make a bold decision for the settlement of the past and take practical steps to this end in the spirit of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration this year, the 60th year after its defeat. A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry urged this in a statement today.
The statement says:
In the year 2005 the Korean people will mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the country. It will be 60 years after the defeat of the Japanese imperialists.
Many years have passed with the old century replaced by the new century and the change of several generations since the end of the Japanese imperialists" occupation of Korea. Japan, however, has shown no will to honestly repent of its crime-woven past and redeem it, but, on the contrary, has pursued its hostile policy toward the DPRK.
Disturbing rackets against the DPRK now going on in Japan, are touching off towering hatred and resentment among the servicepersons and people in the DPRK who have a deep-rooted rancour against the Japanese imperialists over their monstrous crimes committed in the past.
Japan had savagely plundered Korea of its resources for over 40 years after occupying it by force of arms early in the past 20th century. It took away or abducted more than 8.4 million innocent Koreans and mercilessly killed at least one million of them and forced 200,000 women into sexual slavery for the imperial Japanese army.
The Japanese imperialists, not content with this, committed an unprecedented abuse of human rights by depriving the Koreans of their surnames, names and their written and spoken languages.
During their colonial rule they plundered and vandalized hundreds of thousands of pieces of valuable national treasures and cultural assets created by our people down through generations and looted underground resources, products and utensils valued at astronomical figures, thus inflicting upon our people tremendous human, mental and material losses which cannot be redeemed down through generations.
But for the Japanese imperialists" occupation and colonial rule, our people would not have undergone such miserable and humiliating ordeals nor have suffered such awful tragedy of territorial and national division.
Japan, which had committed so indelible crimes against our people, should have honestly repented of and liquidated the crime-woven past right after its defeat.
Even after its defeat Japan took direct part in the U.S. imperialists" war of aggression against the DPRK, obstructing the prosperity, progress and reunification of Korea in every way. It perpetrated acts of discriminating against and suppressing the General Association of Korean residents in Japan (Chongryon) and Koreans in Japan almost every day. It has persisted in applying sanctions against the DPRK and putting pressure upon it to isolate and stifle it. As a result, over the last six decades Japan has added to the crimes it had committed in the past.
Japan"s 100 odd year-long hostile Korea policy--more than 40 years of its colonial rule and 60 years of its hostile acts perpetrated after its defeat--is characterized by its moves to exterminate and divide the Korean nation and its antipathy and chauvinism towards it. This clearly proves that Japan is the sworn enemy of the Korean people.
As for the issue of abduction which occurred against the will of the DPRK in this hostile relationship, this is just the tip of the iceberg when compared with the tremendous misfortune and sufferings Japan imposed upon the Korean people in the past. Moreover, this issue has already been settled.
This notwithstanding, Japan is raising a hue and cry over this issue as part of its smear campaign against the DPRK, painting it as an "issue related to national sovereignty and humanitarianism."
This is a revelation of the crafty and shameless attempt peculiar to Japan to cover up its crimes and completely evade its responsibility to redeem its past crimes by painting the ferocious assailant as a "pitiful victim." Japan is rushing headlong into militarization, beautifying its crime-woven history and inciting revanche. It is preposterous and ridiculous for this country to try to hide its moral vulgarity by showing off its purse and gain the credit of the international community through its insincere "cooperation" and "contribution" and make a pitch for the membership of the UN Security Council.
For Japan to settle its past is essential for emerging an ordinary and normal state in the international arena and creating a friendly environment for its existence and development as a good neighbour.
Disgraceful history can never be changed by any negation of it and no statute of limitations is applied to the crimes committed against humanity.
The Korean army and people will keep strict tabs on Japan"s crimes committed for over 100 years and will employ all means and methods to force it to pay for them to the last.