Pyongyang, October 8 (KCNA) -- The Japanese imperialists stormed the royal palace of the feudal state of Ri Dynasty on October 8, 1895 and stabbed Queen Min, wife of the 26th King Kojong, to death.

Rodong Sinmun Saturday runs a bylined article in this regard.

It says:

The incident known as "Ulmi Incident" clearly proved that the Japanese imperialists are the sworn enemy of the Korean people and a group of ferocious murderers who paid no heed to international law and ethics and morality.

Queen Min was one of those who represented the state power at that time and the royal palace was considered a divine place symbolic of the state sovereignty. The murder of the queen was a crime against humanity rare to be found in history and wanton violation of sovereignty and dignity of Korea and hideous state-sponsored crime against the Korean nation. It was worked out and executed according to Japan's policy for aggression on Korea.

After their illegal occupation of Korea early in the 20th century the Japanese imperialists enforced harsh colonial fascist rule for more than four decades, imposing untold misfortunes and sufferings upon the Korean people.

66 years have passed since the Japanese imperialists' defeat. However, Japan is still resorting to cunning moves to escape from the responsibility for its past crimes, far from making an apology and reparation. What is more serious is the Japanese reactionaries' distortion of the past crimes of the Japanese imperialists in the history textbooks. This is aimed to imbue the younger generation with militarism and put forward them as a shock brigade for a new war and thus realize their old dream of the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere".

These moves on the part of the Japanese reactionaries only harden the determination and will of the army and people of the DPRK to settle accounts with Japan to the last.

Japan should clearly understand the hatred of the army and people of the DPRK for Japan and the national independent spirit of the Koreans and opt for redeeming its past at an early date. The settlement of the past is a key to the improved relations between the DPRK and Japan and herein lies the future of Japan.