Lee Jae-myung to US Senator: "The US Approved Japan's Annexation of Korea"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 12th, "The reason Korea was annexed by Japan is because the United States approved it through the Katsura-Taft Agreement."

On the same day, Lee met with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff at the Democratic Party headquarters in Yeouido and said, "Korea won the war and maintained its system thanks to the support and cooperation of the United States, achieving recognition as an advanced economy. However, behind this great achievement, there may be small shadows," giving this example. Lee stated, "Ultimately, the division at the end was not caused by Japan dividing the peninsula, but by the war-affected Korean Peninsula being divided, which became the cause of the war. This is an undeniable objective fact."

He added, "I heard that the senator is aware of and interested in these issues, and I said this thinking, 'That's really impressive.'" Senator Ossoff did not give a specific response to Lee's remarks. Kim Han-jung, who attended the meeting, told reporters that he mentioned the novel "Pachinko" by Korean-American author Min Jin Lee, saying, "Pachinko is a family saga novel about a family forcibly brought to Japan during the Japanese colonial era, living through the second and third generations. Senator Ossoff was deeply impressed after reading this book and called the author twice."

In his opening remarks, Lee said, "I hope that the comprehensive cooperative relationship, including military and economic exchanges beyond the Korea-U.S. security alliance, will continue to expand and be established." He also said, "I heard that a bill related to reunions of separated families has been proposed and is under review in the U.S. Senate," adding, "I understand that there is a deep interest in human rights and humanitarian issues, and I ask for much attention and cooperation on this matter as well."

In a subsequent private conversation, when Senator Ossoff asked about the future of the Korean Peninsula 10 to 15 years from now, Lee said, "Of course, denuclearization. Through exchange, cooperation, and peace policies, the North and South will not distrust each other, and North Korea will transform into a country where it can safely receive overseas investment." He continued, "Realistically, there is considerable distrust between the South and North and between the North and the U.S., and the dialogue policy is stalled due to North Korea's insecurity about its regime. We must first resolve this issue. Despite the heavy sacrifices from war, the U.S. and Vietnam have improved relations and become allies. If we make efforts, North Korea is not impossible. If the blockade continues longer, it may move further away from that path."

Senator Ossoff said, "The reason I led the Senate delegation to visit Korea reflects the conviction that the Korea-U.S. relationship is very important and central," adding, "Not only I but many federal senators were deeply impressed by Korea's strong will to continue efforts on human rights and democracy issues and by its successful management of COVID-19."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.