One March first every year,... Koreans commemorate the day in 1919 when hundreds of thousands of Koreans staged street rallies declaring the nation's independence against Japanese colonial rule.
In his speech marking the 99th anniversary on Thursday,.. President Moon Jae-in raised some sensitive issues with Japan,... saying Tokyo is not the one that can declare the issue of Japan's wartime sex slavery settled.
Lee Seung-jae tells us more.
Against the backdrop of modern apartment buildings in downtown Seoul stand red brick buildings now well over one hundred years old.
It's a grim reminder of the cruelties committed by Colonial Japanese forces during its occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
It is here at this historic site... in this one-time prison where thousands of Korean independence activists were tortured and killed by colonial Japan that South Korean President Moon Jae-in joined hundreds of Koreans gathered to remember March 1st, 99 years ago... the day that Korea's independence movement began... eventually leading to the Korean liberation in 1945.
Standing here, the South Korean president took the opportunity to urge Japan to sincerely face up to history.
"Dokdo Island is our land that was appropriated first in the process of Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
It is our indigenous territory
Japan's current denial of this fact is no different from rejecting self-reflection of the imperialistic invasion.
As he remembered the tens of thousands of Koreans who staged street rallies to declare the country's independence from Japan's colonial rule on this day... the liberal president revisited Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women.
"The issue of crime against humanity committed in time of war cannot be closed with just a word.
Japan must be able to squarely face the truth of history and justice with the universal conscience of humankind.
The South Korean leader's remarks come amid Tokyo's repeated calls for the new administration to honor the 2015 Korea, Japan agreement inked by the former Park Geun-hye government... to "finally and irreversibly" settle the issue of Japan's wartime sex slavery in exchange for 1 billion yen... roughly 9 million U.S. dollars.
Mr. Moon has called the pact flawed since he took the helm in May last year.
"I just hope that as geographically closest neighboring countries, we can together move forward into the future based on sincere self-reflection and reconciliation."
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
