Shii attends New Year party of Korean Residents Union in Japan

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on January 9 attended a New Year's reception hosted by the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) in Tokyo, expressing his determination to make every effort to promote friendly relations between South Korea and Japan, and work for peace and prosperity in northeast Asia.

Shii gave a speech on behalf of the JCP to offer a New Year's greeting to all participants and said, "To promote friendship between South Korean and Japanese peoples, I think it is most important for the Japanese side to face its past history sincerely. Though we can never rewrite the history, we can face up to it. If the Japanese government looks squarely at the history, admits its past mistakes and apologizes for them, true friendship between the two nations can be established."

The chair stressed again that it is essential for Japan to sincerely reflect on its past in order to solve difficult problems between the two countries through calm diplomatic negotiations. His address received a warm round of applause.

JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi and Vice Chair Ogata Yasuo also attended the reception and engaged in friendly conversations with Mindan Chair Oh Gongtae and Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union chair Hwang Woo-yea.