South Korean president says Japan changed from ‘aggressor to partner’

ANKARA (AA) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday said that Japan has changed from an “aggressor to a partner” and the two countries now cooperate on issues of security and economy, local media reported.

Addressing an event in the capital Seoul while marking the anniversary of the nation's 1919 independence movement, Yoon called Japan a "partner."

"Now, a century after the March 1 Independence Movement, Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner that shares the same universal values with us," Yonhap News Agency quoted Yoon as saying.

"Today Korea and Japan cooperate on issues of security and economy. We also work together to cope with global challenges," he added.

South Koreans mark March 1 as "Independence Movement Day" – a day when their independence movement started in 1919 against Japanese rule over Korea.

Bilateral relations between the two Asian nations, also allies of the US in the region, nosedived due to issues stemming from Japan’s colonial rule over the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

In 2018, a South Korean court asked Japanese firms to pay compensation to the victims of Japan's wartime forced labor.

Tokyo rejected the ruling and said the issue was resolved in the past.

In 2019, both countries imposed trade restrictions against each other that further dented the relations between Seoul and Tokyo.

However, the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office in May last year, is trying to improve ties with Tokyo as both countries face a growing threat from North Korea.

In November last year, Yoon met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Cambodia for the first time and agreed to resolve all pending issues between the two countries.

"The trilateral cooperation among the Republic of Korea, the United States, and Japan has become more important than ever to overcome the security crises, including North Korea's growing nuclear threats and the global polycrisis," Yoon said.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid