In this regard, Rodong Sinmun, a major newspaper of the DPRK, Tuesday carries a bylined article disclosing Japan's past crimes.

The establishment of "residence-general" and the rule by "resident-general" were, in essence, an open colonial fascist rule that wantonly violated the sovereignty and dignity of Korea, the article says.

Citing facts to prove that the Korean people suffered huge human and material loss from the rule by the "resident-general", it says:

The Japanese imperialists killed more than one million Koreans and reduced 200,000 Korean women into sexual slaves over the 40 odd years of ferocious colonial and fascist rule over Korea including the period of the "resident-general" rule. And they plundered at random a lot of natural resources and cultural properties.

Japan is the assailant that imposed tremendous damage upon the Korean people. It is moral obligation and international usage for an assailant to make an apology and reparation to its victim.

The Korean people hope that Japan will redeem all its past crimes and put an end to the abnormal relations with the DPRK as early as possible. To improve the bilateral relations depends entirely on Japan's settlement of the past.

Japan should face up to the present reality and settle its disgraceful past at an early date. It will be good for Japan itself.