In a first, Japanese, S.Korean leaders visit cenotaph of Korean atomic bomb victims

By Anadolu Staff

ANKARA (AA) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday visited a cenotaph dedicated to Korean victims of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, becoming the first leaders of the two Asian neighbors to jointly visit the site.

Along with their wives, Kishida and Yoon walked up to the cenotaph located in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park together and placed flowers in front of it, local Kyodo news agency reported.

"I feel that (the visit) was very meaningful for bilateral ties and also in praying for world peace," Kishida said after the visit, followed by a summit between the two leaders, where they underscored the significance of the occasion.

Yoon, for his part, said the joint visit to offer condolences to Korean atomic bomb victims "will be remembered as a brave action from the prime minister to prepare a peaceful future together."
The two leaders agreed on the joint visit to the memorial during their meeting in Seoul, in another sign of the improvement in bilateral relations.

Long-strained relations between the two neighbors have seen a significant improvement since South Korea announced a government-backed fund to compensate former wartime laborers who had sued Japanese companies.

Yoon met with Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima on Friday, the first sitting South Korean president to do so, and vowed support for them.

Back in South Korea, victims of the 1945 nuclear bombing by the US welcomed the decision regarding the joint visit, believing it will lead to reconciliation between the countries. They also expressed hope for an apology by Japan for its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, the news agency reported

"I think it means reconciliation (for Japan and South Korea). We appreciate the fact that they understand even a little bit of our pain," said Jeong Won Sul, chairman of the Korea Atomic Bombs Victim Association.​​​​​​​