Seok Dong-hyun, Secretary General of the National Unification Advisory Council, "Stop Demanding Apology from Japan... Warning to the 'Jukchangga Faction'"

Yoon's 40-Year Confidant Seok Dong-hyun States on Facebook
"Only Korea Screams for Apology After Colonial Rule"

Seok Dong-hyun, Secretary General of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (Democratic Peace Council) and known as President Yoon Suk-yeol's friend of 40 years, clarified that his call to "stop demanding apologies from Japan" was "a message directed at forces politically exploiting anti-Japanese sentiment."

On the 8th, Seok stated in a Facebook post, "It is not intended to belittle the feelings of our people," explaining his position. Earlier, he had expressed strong support for the government's announced solution regarding compensation for victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period.

Seok Dong-hyun, Secretary General of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council Photo by Yonhap News

Seok said, "This is a warning to some outdated politicians and their followers to stop hindering South Korea's future with an anti-Japanese frame," adding, "In the solution for forced labor compensation, we must distinguish between the claimants who are the victims themselves and the 'Jukchangga forces' who keep clinging to anti-Japanese issues as an opportunity."

He repeatedly defended the government's announced solution for compensation to victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period. Seok pointed out that once the compensation issue is resolved, there will be many areas for cooperation between South Korea and Japan, stating, "It will also help with peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula and enable the joint future prosperity of South Korea and Japan, which has been in a deadlock for years, to leap to a new stage."

Finally, he added, "To the claimants, I urge not to outright reject this compensation plan that our government is carefully trying to promote, but to observe the Japanese government's response to our proposal, namely the succession of factual acknowledgment and apology."

Earlier, Seok had expressed on his Facebook the previous day, "What a dignified and confident solution this is," and "I deeply support the forced labor solution announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration." He particularly emphasized that it is a solution in accordance with international law, not a 'mob law (ttebeop),' sparking controversy with his remark, "Among countries that suffered colonial rule, where else besides Korea is there a country still screaming for apologies or compensation?"

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