S.Korea criticizes Japanese FM's remarks over history

South Korea blasted Japan's foreign minister Friday for his remarks that it was inappropriate to compare Japan with Germany over their past history, calling them " unhelpful" to the forging of reconciliation with its neighbors.

"Japan must not cover up innocent sacrifice and indescribable pains its neighbors and their peoples suffered from the inhumane activities Japan committed through its colonial rule and imperial invasion," Lee Kyu-hyung, spokesman of South Korea's Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.

Lee said Japan needs to learn a lesson from Germany in dealing with the history issue, noting Germany offered legal and moral apologies and compensation to victims. Lee further criticized Japan's authorization of the history textbooks which distort history, while its politicians continue to make remarks in conflict with the actual shared history of the region.

The South Korea's statement came one day after Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said a simple comparison between Japan and Germany is inappropriate as the domestic conditions were different.

The top Japanese diplomat also was reportedly said that Japan's actions before the war were different to the German crime of trying to annihilate the Jews and that the Germans were able to put all the blame on the Nazis.

Relations between South Korea and Japan is suffering pains due to their dispute over a chain of islets located in the East Sea ( Sea of Japan), which is called Dokdo in Korean, Takeshima in Japanese.

The South Korean government and people also made strong reactions to a new edition of a Japanese school textbook which whitewashes Japan's colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula and backs Japan's claim over Dokdo.