In a speech delivered on the sixty-eighth anniversary of Liberation Day, Park Geun-hye said, “Japanese politicians need to show courageous leadership to heal wounds from the past to develop the bilateral relationship to a sincere cooperative partnership.” She also urged Japan to take “responsible and sincere” measures for victims of history and together to establish peace and shared prosperity in the Northeast Asia. Crediting Japan with being an indispensible part of the Seoul Process, one of the pillars of her foreign policy, Park has encouraged South Koreans to keep their eyes on how to achieve a breakthrough in the relationship. Yet, events kept intruding, resulting in another round of articles taking a pessimistic tone toward Japan-South Korean ties.

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