Going to a tiger’s cave to catch a tiger.
So explained President Roh Moo-hyun, who reportedly has offered to visit the Yushukan War Museum, located within Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine, if the Japanese government were to invite him. The Yushukan has been criticized as a place where Japan’s wartime history is whitewashed and glorified–see here.
Cheong Wa Dae said Roh’s intention is to inform the world of the reasons behind Korea’s opposition to Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro’s visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by visiting the place himself (to, as one would imagine, see for himself the historical distortions and glorification of WWII contained within).
Some analysts believe President Roh’s statement was meant as a way to break the ice with Tokyo and get Korea-Japan ties moving again, possibly with the aim of restarting the “shuttle summits” with the Japanese prime minister.
There will undoubtedly be more on this later.
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Then next year, Koizumi can come to Cheonan to visit Independence Hall.
Roh will go to the temple and, before a Japanese crowd and in front of TV camera, unzip his pants and urinate in the middle of the temple.
That will seal his place in Korean history.
Aigo…seen too many ajossis in Seoul draining their snake in public….
Better yet, Roh should invite Koizumi to Soedaemun Prison.
Can’t get much more puerile than this!
Shinzo Abe had a great SFW response, something like “Let him go if he wants to go.”
Does it seem like a trap to anyone else but me? The shrine is not run by the government, and accordingly the government can make no invites or guarantee anything such as a private visit or something like that to Yasukuni. If the government were to invite anyone to a private religious place, couldn’t Roh just say something like, “ha! I told you they ran it!” or something like that..
No wait, I think I’m giving Roh too much credit. He probably just wants to go start a fight or something juvenile like that.
But I do hope he goes, and then returns back to Korea only to be impeached again for being Pro-Japanese, my favorite Korean law ever.
For what it’s worth, Koizumi responded a few hours ago.
http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/0317/012.html
Koizumi said, “I will not obstruct him”. When asked if he “would consider going along” he responded, “I think it’s best to leave that decision to him and he may do as he pleases”.
I think Kim Jong Il should visit the Yasukuki. I think North Korean commandos should kidnap Koizumi and the mayor of Tokyo.
I am pretty sure a government invitation to a private religious site would be unconstitutional.