He criticized the Japanese authorities for remaining as a marplot throwing a wet blanket over the atmosphere of peace on the Korean peninsula, urged them to apologize for such issues as forcible drafting and sexual slavery of the Imperial Japanese Army.

In this regard, Rodong Sinmun Wednesday in a commentary says:

Hatoyama's remarks are an advice to the Japanese authorities who go against the trend of the times while working hard to evade the responsibility for great misfortune and pains inflicted upon the Korean nation in the past.

As Hatoyama said, Japan is highly responsible for the division of the Korea Peninsula.

The division of the Korean peninsula is attributable to Japan's colonial rule over Korea, which is recognized by the Japanese people themselves.

Nevertheless, Japan is joining those countries pursuing the policy of Korea's division with its persistent hostile policy toward the DPRK, far from feeling remorseful for its crimes. The Japanese reactionaries are resorting to all sorts of means to block the reunification of Korea in a bid to realize their old dream of "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere".

Today, it comes to be an international trend to make an apology and reparation for the past crimes.

Several countries which inflicted the disaster of war on humankind in the past, have apologized for their war crimes and taken due measures for the reparation. But Japan is acting quite contrary to them.

The Korean people's enmity against Japan is getting stronger than ever before as it is cunningly trying to escape from making an apology and reparation by denying its past crimes.

Putting off making apology and reparation will add only sins to Japan's past crimes.