Report: Abe's WWII speech to include 'apology'

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will use the words "apology" and "aggression" in his statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War, reported public broadcaster NHK on Monday.

Citing local media, Reuters news agency reported that a previous draft of Abe's statement had originally omitted the word "apology," a subject of contention between Tokyo and eastern Asian countries, which suffered atrocities under Japanese colonial rule, including massacres and sex slavery.

However, Abe has called for a "forward-looking attitude" that focuses on the country's seven decades of peace and progress following the war.

Balancing act

The conservative prime minister faces a challenging balancing act with his anniversary speech.

Abe's core supporters see the apology as a distraction from Japan's post-war progress.

Meanwhile, omitting an apology from the anniversary speech would likely draw a critical response from China and South Korea, which dispute Tokyo's narrative as failing to acknowledge crimes committed prior to and during World War II.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Monday that she expected Abe to uphold previous statements "to show the Japanese government's mature attitude in trying to make a fresh start in relationships with neighboring countries, including us," reported Reuters.

Abe has said he would adhere to prior statements regarding the war, although questions remain whether he will do so to the same extent as former premiers.

'Heartfelt apology?'

In 1995, then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama gave a "heartfelt apology" for Japan's "aggression" and "colonial rule" in a landmark speech.

Last week, a government panel tasked with priming Abe's speech said it condemned the island-nation's colonization of the Korean peninsula during the first half of the 20th century and parts of China in 1931.

Abe has bolstered Japan's military capabilities, including the ability to fight overseas, marking a shift from the country's seven decades of pacifism following the end of World War II.

ls/kms (Reuters, AFP)