South Korean President Lee Myung-bak stressed Tuesday that Japan should translate its words into action, responding to a statement by his Japanese counterpart offering an apology
for Tokyo's past colonial rule of Korea and reasserting efforts to improve often prickly relations between the neighboring nations.
Lee delivered the message to Prime Minister Naoto Kan in telephone talks that followed Kan's statement earlier in the day.
"President Lee noted the sincerity of the statement this time and said what is important is how Japan will carry it out from now on," Lee's
spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung told reporters.
Lee asked Kan to cooperate in a "wise and sincere manner" on pending issues, she added.
In a statement issued to mark the 100th anniversary later this month of Japan's annexation of Korea, Kan expressed "deep remorse" and "heartfelt apology" to South Korea for the damage and sufferings from 36 years of brutal colonization, which ended with Japan's surrender in World War II on Aug. 15, 1945. Korea was then split into the communist North and capitalist
South.
Kan admitted that Korea was annexed by Japan against Korean people's will and vowed to redouble efforts for future-oriented ties with South Korea.
In a gesture for reconciliation, Kan said his government will hand over Korean cultural artifacts looted during the colonial era.
Kan invited Lee to visit Japan before the hosting of the G-20 summit by South Korea and an APEC summit by Japan in November.
The two sides are in working-level consultations over the proposal, according to the spokeswoman.