“In his lifetime, Suhyeon said that Korea and Japan should not cling too much to the past. He said that it was equally detrimental to both countries and that we should stay close. In hindsight, those words were a will.”
On January 26, 2001, the mother of the late Lee Soo-hyeon (then 27 years old), who died after being hit by a train while trying to rescue a Japanese who fell from the platform at Shin-Okubo Station in Tokyo, Japan, said in a telephone interview with the Dong-A Ilbo on the 16th that the leaders of Korea and Japan He expressed his impressions of watching the meeting. The spirit of sacrifice Lee crossed the border is still remembered as a symbol of friendship between Korea and Japan. Mr. Shin said, “(Looking at this summit), I think my son will think that a light is shining (on Korea-Japan relations).”
Lee’s grandfather was a victim of forced labor who was taken to a coal mine in Japan during the Japanese occupation. For this reason, Mr. Shin looked at the frozen relations between Korea and Japan in recent years over the issue of compensation for forced labor with mixed feelings.
“I also talked about it with my late husband, but I hope this (the issue of compensation for conscription) will be resolved in our generation and future generations will be comfortable.”
Mr. Shin said, “Thanks to my son, I met many people in both countries, and I felt desperately that Korea and Japan are countries that cannot be separated from each other.” do. I think we can be closer because of the past.”
At Shin-Okubo Station, a bronze plaque commemorating Mr. Lee’s noble sacrifice is engraved on the wall. Shin visited this place for a memorial service for his son in January this year, after three years. He said, “(Due to the difficult relationship between Korea and Japan), it must have been difficult for the stores in Koreatown, but I was happy to see it crowded this time, as if I had become rich.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.