Left Flank

Now that the ROK's NIS has outed the KCIA for the kidnapping of former ROK President Kim Dae-jung in Tokyo in 1973, how many governments (and, non-state actors) will have to apologize? This sordid tale is hardly new, except perhaps for a little bit about hiring Japanese criminals to assassinate KDJ.

But, really, this is the annoying part of this revelation:

Kim's spokesman said in a statement he was disappointed Park was not directly implicated in the plot despite ample evidence. A panel of Kim's associates called on the South Korean and Japanese governments to apologies.

The NIS report said the government of Japan also bore some responsibility for the case for conspiring in a cover up.

Japan on Wednesday rejected the NIS claim.

«We have expressed our displeasure, so I hope that the South Korean government would deal with that appropriately.» Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference.

«If South Korea were to say the responsibility lies with Japan, then we cannot accept that.»

And, for what should Tokyo apologize?

After losing the 1971 presidential election to Park Chung Hee by a thin margin, Kim was injured during an assassination attempt that later turned out to be a KCIA plot, and went into exile overseas. He visited Tokyo at the invitation of Japanese lawmakers to raise support for his prodemocracy movement.

The fingerprints of Kim Dong Woon, the first secretary of the South Korean Embassy, were then found by Japanese police in Kim's hotel room, raising suspicion that the intelligence agency was involved in his disappearance. The police demanded the right to question the secretary, but he used his diplomatic immunity to avoid police questioning.

Although the Japanese public was surprised by the possibility Seoul was involved in the abduction, Japanese police failed to delve deeper into the case. In November 1973, then Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka struck a secret deal with South Korean counterpart Kim Jong Pil to have Seoul issue an apology and promise to fire the secretary.

Perhaps, by this logic, the US needs to apologize:

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Japanese officials learned of the plot and the United States sent what is believed to have been an aircraft to find the boat and buzz the kidnappers, intelligence officials and Kim himself have said.

With the kidnappers caught in the act, Kim's life was spared. He was later taken to South Korea and placed under house arrest by Park's pro-U.S. government.

But, let's not ask Park Chung-hee's daughter for an apology! That's unfair!