South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun's March 23 statement denouncing Japan for its colonial past is bound to seriously damage Tokyo-Seoul relations that have been improving in recent years. The statement reverses positive diplomacy Seoul has pursued on the basis of a 2003 agreement between Roh and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to deepen bilateral relations.
The confrontation over historical perceptions was triggered by the Shimane Prefectural Assembly's approval March 16 of an ordinance declaring "Takeshima Day" -- to underscore Japan's claim to a group of islets also claimed by South Korea in the Sea of Japan.
Additional issues are Koizumi's annual visits to Yasukuni Shrine and passages in new history textbooks scheduled for use in middle schools.
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