Nguyet Thi Thanh, one of the survivors of a Vietnam War massacre committed by South Korean soldiers, speaks at a weekly demonstration by former comfort women in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, during her first visit to Korea in April last year. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Choi Ha-young

President Moon Jae-in delivered an apology to Vietnam for South Korea's participation in the Vietnam War in the 1960s while visiting the country last week, but few Vietnamese were aware of this, sources said Wednesday.

On Nov. 11, a video recording of President Moon was aired at Ho Chi Minh City-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2017, held in Vietnam's largest city.

In it, he said: "South Korea has a debt of heart to Vietnam. However, the two countries have become most crucial economic partners and friends."

The wording "debt of heart" was used by ex-President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 when he visited Ho Chi Minh City. Earlier in 1998, Roh's predecessor Kim Dae-jung expressed regret during his Hanoi visit, which drew enormous flak from conservatives here.

The conservatives view the war as an economic achievement of President Park Chung-hee, who dispatched Korean troops to Vietnam in return for long-term loans from the U.S. Therefore, the alleged deaths of an estimated 5,000 Vietnamese civilians have been taboo for decades.

A high-ranking Cheong Wa Dae official was quoted as saying in the JoongAng Ilbo, Wednesday, that the President avoided a clear apology for fear of "unnecessary ideological controversy" in South Korea.

President Moon originally intended to issue an official apology in a bilateral summit with the Vietnamese leader. However, his aides dissuaded him from doing so, in order to focus on the "future" of bilateral ties, the report said. Instead, Moon gave the apologetic message in vague language via video.

Moon's video was broadcasted via Ho Chi Minh City TV on Nov. 11, but no Vietnamese media ran a story about it. Vietnamese viewers were unaware of the remark's meaning which didn't clarify what he was talking about.

"I got to know the message through my friend who was working as a translator at the event. No Vietnamese papers dealt with it," Tran Thi Mai Xuan, a Vietnamese activist who supports victims of wartime massacres, told The Korea Times.

"It looked like an apology but it was not. I think the South Korean government should issue an official apology with sincerity."

Ku Su-jeong of Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation, who has long tackled the issue, echoed the point. "It's a positive signal (in resolving past affairs), but still leaves much to be desired. It mirrors the reality of Korean society, which still lacks understanding of the Vietnam War," Ku said.

"A sincere apology should accompany recognition of the wrongdoings and taking responsibility. Further, the President presented the message after the summit."

When the message was presented, all eyes were on the summit between Moon and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which was dedicated to clearing away the lingering tension between the two countries. Even though it was revealed on Nov. 11, no South Korean media had reported it.

Asked about the criticism, presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun emphasized Moon's sincerity regardless of the format of the message. "We think there's no doubt about Moon's sincerity," Park said.

President Moon returned home Wednesday evening, after visiting Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. During eight days of travel, the liberal leader called for co-prosperity with ASEAN members and officially revived Seoul-Beijing relations.