On his first day of a state visit to Indonesia, March 10, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands offered an apology over "excessive violence" suffered by Indonesians during the early years of Indonesian independence. (Screenshot Jakarta Post)

By KCNAMany countries have been repenting of their past wrongdoings and making efforts to establish new relations. During a recent visit to Indonesia the king of the Netherlands made an official apology for the extreme violence used by his country during its colonial rule over Indonesia.Saying history can never be erased, the king pointed out that he reflects upon the past crimes committed by his country with deep understanding of the lingering pains and sorrow of victims.His remarks serve as an occasion to look into the true colors of Japan which has not yet atoned for the past.The past crimes committed by Japan against mankind, the Korean people in particular, are so atrocious that they could hardly be tolerated though Japan would make manifold apologies and reparation for them.However, Japan has behaved contrary to the trend of the times since its defeat.Japan has not admitted its past crimes, but justified them, far from making apology and reparation for them.During the Japanese imperialists' colonial fascist rule spanning nearly half a century, the Korean nation underwent the most miserable sufferings and pains which other nations have never experienced. And the scars of sufferings and pains still remain unhealed.The Japanese reactionaries are instilling into the rising generations the hostility towards the DPRK and militarism by shamelessly distorting the history, making absurd allegations that the "colonization promoted the modernization of Korea" and "Japan's war in the continent in the last century comes to be a contribution to peace and security of Asia".Worse still, Japan is more desperately keen on the moves for a military giant and overseas expansion to realize its wild ambition for reinvasion, attributing its defeat in the war to its weak power.If the island country continues to refuse the atonement for its past, enjoying a daydream about becoming "the leader of Asia," in disregard of the warnings of the international community, it will get nothing but ruin.Japan should stop foolish doings that betrays its mean morality before the world and may damn its prospects, but make a sincere apology and reparation for the heinous crimes it committed against the Korean nation and mankind.(KCNA - March 23, 2020)