61304 Thirty years have gone by, and in South Korea there is a growing opinion that there should be a reassessment of the historical role of the late President Park Chung Hee, who rammed through the normalization of Japan-ROK diplomatic relations.
61305 The people who once opposed the signing of the Japan-ROK Treaty as students are now part of the generation that has the real power in the political and bureaucratic circles in South Korea.
61306 While they still think the anti-Treaty demonstrations as having a point, many of them now are taking the outcome of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries in a positive light.
61307 With respect to the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, some Japanese insist that South Korea owes its growth to Japan.
61308 However, the historical assessment of South Korea after the normalization of ties should be left up to South Koreans.
61309 Japan should not be patronizing them about what the Treaty has accomplished.
61310 There also have been some dismal events during these thirty years.
61311 The incident where Mr. Kim Dae Jung, one of the leaders of the opposition party, was abducted from a hotel in Tokyo under broad daylight in 1973 put the relationship between the two countries under the greatest strain.
61312 Also, there was the assassination of Madame Yuk Young Soo, the wife of President Park, by a young South Korean man living in Japan.
61313 In South Korea, anti-Japan demonstrations were put on whenever Japan-ROK relations became tense.
61314 There have been times when it seemed that anti-Japan sentiments were deliberately drummed up to divert the people's attention from domestic problems.
61315 However, the South Korean leaders' attitude has changed since the former President Chun Doo Hwan issued the statement on his standpoint by saying, "First and foremost, the responsibility for the nation's history lies with its people themselves."
61316 Former President Roh Tae Woo and President Kim Young Sam have also firmly maintained this stance.
61317 The altered historical perception brought around by the growth of South Korea and the restored confidence among its people has been leading Japan-ROK relations to a more desirable direction.
61318 This also signifies the end of an era where South Korea expects one-sided cooperation from Japan.