Memorial of Korean patriot, reminder of history

The memorial to Korean freedom fighter Ahn Jung Geun, provides people with the details of the man's bravery against Japanese aggression at the beginning of last century. The facility commemorates an historical figure, but reminds people of today not to forget the past. On Oct. 26, 1909, Ahn shot dead Hirobumi Ito, the former Japanese prime minister and then resident-general of Korea, in Harbin railway station. Ahn was hanged in March 1910 by Japanese forces. Ahn did not stop Japan's ambitious aggression. In the decades leading up to 1945, Japanese forces wreaked havoc on the Korean Peninsula, in China and in other Asian countries. The current Japanese leadership have not reflected on the actions of their predecessors. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine last month infuriated and saddened China and the Republic of Korea (ROK). Abe's attitude toward history has been condemned worldwide. The opening of Ahn's memorial is not to inflict pain, but to shed light on the history of northeastern Asia. Nor does the memorial try to rekindle the hatred of the past. Rather, it stands as a remembrance of brutal Japanese colonization and the Chinese and Korean suffering that came with it. Ahn said during his trial that he killed Ito for the independence of his motherland and peace in the Orient. Abe's attempts to amend Japan's post-war pacifist constitution and strengthen its military might, show no remorse for Japan's past and pose a threat to peace and stability. History is the teacher of life. Alarm bells shall not go unheeded. With Japan treading a dangerous path once again, the need for vigilance and a joint international effort is clear if we are to prevent a Japanese militarist resurgence.