中韓合力樹立安重根紀念碑

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

安重根碑、中韓協力で進行…菅長官「犯罪者だ」

　　【ソウル＝中川孝之】韓国の朴槿恵(パククネ)大統領は１８日、訪韓した中国の楊潔チ(ヤンジエチー)（よう・けつち）国務委員と大統領府で会談し、朝鮮独立運動家・安重根(アンジュングン)の記念碑を黒竜江省のハルビン駅に建立する計画について、「（中韓の）双方の協力でうまく進行している」と述べ、謝意を表した。

　安重根は１９０９年に同駅で伊藤博文・初代韓国統監を暗殺した人物で、記念碑建立は、６月の中韓首脳会談で朴氏が習近平(シージンピン)国家主席に要請していた。

　菅官房長官は１９日午前の記者会見で、韓国側の動きに対し、「我が国は『安重根は犯罪者だ』と韓国政府に伝えてきており、このような動きは日韓関係のためにはならない」と不快感を示した。

　菅氏の発言を受け、韓国外交省報道官は１９日、「あり得ない発言だ。犯罪者という表現を使うのは極めて遺憾だ」と反発。これに対し、菅氏は１９日夕の記者会見で「随分と過剰反応だ。私は我が国の従来の立場を淡々と申し上げているだけだ」と述べ、抑制的な対応を韓国側に求めた。

（2013年11月19日20時19分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

     On the 18th (November) the South Korean President Park Geun-hye, at the Executive Office of the President, talked with China’s State Councillor Yang Jiechi who was visiting South Korea. The president described the plan to build a monument for An Chung-gun, a Korean-independence-movement activist, at the Harbin Railway Station in Heilongjiang as "going on well because of the cooperation of both sides (China and South Korea)", and expressed her gratitude.

    An Chung-gun was the person who assassinated Hirobumi Ito, the first Korean Governor, at a station in 1909, and Ms. Pak had requested permission from the PRC President Xi Jinping to erect a monument during the China-South Korea summit meeting held in June.

    At the press conference held in the morning of the 19th, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga showed displeasure to the action of South Korea, saying that "our country has said to the South Korean government that ‘An Chung-gun is a criminal’ and the erection does not benefit Japan-Korea relations”.

    Upon Mr. Suga's remark, on the 19^th the South Korean foreign ministry press secretary reacted by saying that “it is an unbelievable utterance; it is very regrettable that the expression ‘a criminal’ is used, we oppose that”. On the other hand, Mr. Suga at a press conference on the evening of the 19th stated that "it is quite an overreaction. I only said that the traditional position of our country is indifference", and asked the South Korea side for a restrained response.

(20:19 on November 19, 2013    Yomiuri Shimbun)

I hope the erection of the monument at the Harbin Railway Station in Heilongjiang would not affect the diplomatic relationship between Japan and Korea.