South Korea and Japan will be celebrated on Saturday, the 75th anniversary of the capitulation of Tokyo in world war II. In Seoul will be celebrating the Day of liberation from 35 years of Japanese occupation and the establishment of an independent Korean state, while Tokyo will commemorate their soldiers that are in the rest of Asia consider to be war criminals. Unresolved historical dispute remains the main irritant in relations South Korea and Japan reached the lowest point in decades.The day of liberation from the Japanese occupation is a national holiday in South Korea, timed to the statement of the Japanese Emperor Hirohito on 15 August 1945, this year will be held internally without the traditional large-scale, an inferior curriculum. The main reason was the threat of the pandemic coronavirus, the victory over which this spring demanded the South Korean government’s tremendous efforts.Apprehending the situation, when a mass gathering of people will cause a new risk of infection COVID-19, Seoul city hall has appealed to political parties, non-governmental organizations and citizens to desist from participating in demonstrations and rallies. Were banned and the main event — scheduled for Saturday 14th civil unions conservative wing demonstration, the number of participants is supposed to reach 50 thousand people.Despite the limitations caused by the risk of the second wave of the pandemic, the Day of Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation, which lasted from 1910 to 1945, will be another tool for national mobilization against the descendants of Japanese colonists, which, as in Seoul, do not want to pay the “account history”. After the annexation of Korea by Imperial Japan began to pursue forced assimilation, banning the use and study of Korean language, changing Korean names, as well as spreading on the Korean Peninsula is the traditional Japanese religion of Shintoism.The terrible skeleton in the closet was the question of responsibility for the transformation of about 200 thousand Korean women into sexual slaves — “women of comfort” Japanese soldiers. Although the Japanese side regarded the problem dealt with the bilateral agreement of 1965, in Seoul insisted that previously paid by the Japanese government compensation in the amount of $500 million is not enough and their payments will also have to do the Japanese companies that used during the Second world war, the labour of the Koreans.After the agreement of 1965, in 2015, Japan has committed itself to pay to the former “comfort women” an additional 1 billion yen (about us $9 million), provided that thereafter any new requirements from the Seoul side to run will not. However, after coming to power in 2018 President moon ��PVCs Ina the South Korean side considered it necessary to impose new requirements to the Japanese. The conflict around the question of how to treat the claims of Seoul, has become particularly acute in recent months and on the eve of the Day of Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation reached its peak.At the end of 2018 Seoul began the process of asset confiscation of a number of leading Japanese companies, who were arrested by the Supreme court of South Korea as compensation for the losses suffered by the country during the war. And in early August, on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the liberation from the Japanese invaders, the Japanese side has received official notification from Seoul that the decision of the judicial authorities of South Korea begins the process of “cashing out” of the assets of Japanese companies, that is, to sell them. Commenting on the actions of the South Korean side, Secretary-General of the Japanese government Yoshihide Suga called it a “violation of international law” and warned about the inevitable serious consequences for Seoul.Due to the ongoing dispute about compensation, threatening to draw Seoul and Tokyo in the sanctions war, passions ran high even more in connection with the appearance in the Botanical garden of the South Korean city of Pyeongchang as a monument to the victims of sexual slavery during the Second world war. Sculptural composition depicts a seated on a bench woman, in front of which the kneeling man bowed his head in repentance. Visitors to the Park immediately drew attention to the fact that the man is remarkably similar to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. As explained by a monument created by local sculptor, his idea really was to send the Japanese side signal about the need to continue to make amends.”From the point of view of international etiquette is inadmissible”,— was indignant the Secretary General of the Japanese government, Yoshihide Suga, warned that this story will also have consequences for relations with Seoul.Decided this year not to visit the infamous in Asia, the Yasukuni Shrine, where memorial tablets in honour of Japanese war criminals of world war II, Prime Minister Abe however intends to honor their memory. “He will make a ritual offering to the Shrine of his own money as the leader of the ruling liberal democratic party,” Reuters quoted a source in the Japanese government.Against this background, the scandal in relations South Korea and Japan, emerged on the basis of historical dispute, unwittingly touched even the U.S. Ambassador in Seoul Harry Harris, who shortly before the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender had to shave off his mustache, making him look like Emperor Hirohito and another famous figure of the era — Japanese Premier Tojo Hideki.Sergey Strokan
