North Korea, as 'South Korea-US-Japan Cooperation' Strengthens, Says "Don't Forget the Eulsa Treaty"

At the Time of the Korea-US-Japan Summit, Rodong Sinmun Reports
"Japan's Brazen Acts... Must Become Stronger and Confront"

Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of North Korea [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea strongly condemned Japan on the 117th anniversary of the 'Eulsa Treaty' and raised its voice to strengthen national power. This propaganda is notable as it comes amid the solidification of South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation through the Phnom Penh summit.

The Workers' Party organ, Rodong Sinmun, on the 14th, in a commentary titled "Never Forget the Bloody Lesson of the Year Eulsa," expressed anger, stating, "Imperial Japan violently took away our people's national sovereignty, which is more precious than life itself, and reduced our country to a colony for nearly half a century, enslaving our people, becoming an implacable enemy."

It continued, "The demands and principles that treaties must be concluded based on voluntary agreement among sovereign states, and the procedures requiring important treaties to take the form of full powers and ratification by national representatives, were all ignored as Imperial Japan forged documents. This reckless act was nothing but a bandit's deed," emphasizing, "This tragic history teaches a serious lesson that powerless countries and peoples can only wipe away the bloody tears flowing from their fists even when their national sovereignty is entirely taken away."

Then, it stated, "Hearing these voices echoing through centuries and generations, we deeply engrave the iron logic of history in our hearts again," and repeatedly stressed, "We must be strong. We must become strong."

Although this commentary aims to encourage the residents' 'anti-imperialist class consciousness,' it is noteworthy that it came amid the atmosphere of strengthened South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and recent provocations. The leaders of the three countries held a trilateral meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the previous day, reaffirmed the security cooperation stance, and agreed to share North Korea's missile warning information in real time, thereby raising the level of cooperation.

Meanwhile, the Eulsa Treaty was forcibly concluded by Japan in 1905 with the purpose of usurping national sovereignty. With contents such as the deprivation of diplomatic rights, the Korean Empire effectively became a colony of Japan. However, since a treaty (條約) implies a contract made by mutual agreement, to emphasize the meaning of 'coercive conclusion,' it is also called Eulsa Neugyak.

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