Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2015 October 21 - 27 [JCP]

This week’s JCP international activity

Shii talks with key figures in Seoul

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo, visiting South Korea from October 20 to 23, took part in various events and talked with many leading figures from various fields in the country.

On October 21, Shii attended a gathering in friendship between Japan and South Korea which was held in Seoul. This event was hosted by the Japan-South Korea friendship association and the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan).

In his speech, Shii stressed that to develop real friendship between the two countries, it is essential for Japan to sincerely face up to historical facts, admit to its past mistakes, and have them be a lesson for the future.

Shii noted that the two neighbors have a long history of exchanges from ancient times and that it is only in recent times that they have been at odds with each other. “I’ll work harder with others to overcome the current difficulties in order to build a mutual deep friendship as well as peace and stability in Northeast Asia,” he said. The audience applauded his address.

Later in the day, the JCP head had talks with Konkuk University President Song Heeyoung on the campus.

The next day, prior to his special lecture at Konkuk University, Shii had talks with two researchers at the university’s Institute of Chinese Affairs.

In response to the scholars’ questions, Shii explained carefully about the JCP’s views on the issue of historical interpretation as well as the Japanese army’s sex-slave (“comfort women”) system during World War II.

On October 23, Shii met with Kim Tae-hwan, acting chair of the ROK-Japan Parliamentarians’ League in Seoul.

Shii outlined the JCP initiative for peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia. He went on to emphasize that this initiative shares the goal of the proposal of South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Kim expressed his approval of the JCP proposal, noting the importance of cooperation between Japan, China, and South Korea.

The JCP leader also said that there is not a moment to lose in resolving Japan’s wartime sex slavery issue. Referring to the fact that both countries’ parliamentarian leagues recently adopted two decisions which stress the need to implement measures to restore the human dignity of former “comfort women”, Shii stated that the Japanese government should immediately take action for that purpose.