The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s President Roh Moo-hyun on Friday said Tokyo must follow up on apologies for its past wartime atrocities with action, not more words, delivering a harsh rebuke to visiting Japanese lawmakers.

"The South Korean (ROK) public will be disappointed at another Japanese apology," Roh said, meeting with Tsutomu Takebe, secretary-general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, secretary-general of its ruling coalition partner, Komeito.

"Another apology nullifies past apologies, and forces that lead the Japanese Government and politics are doing several things that run counter to the spirit of past apologies and retrospection," Roh said in the meeting at the president's office, according to a statement.

"We call on Japanese leaders not to make new apologies but to make actions suitable for the apologies already made," Roh said.

"In this context, we are not demanding any new apologies from Japan," he added.

Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have been tense in the past few months over a disputed set of islets in waters between the two countries and new textbooks that the ROK alleges whitewashes Japan's wartime atrocities.

Roh said on Friday that as long as such actions recur, Seoul would find it hard to accept the sincerity of Japan's so-called apologies.

Takebe delivered a personal letter from Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi that contained a similar apology to that which he expressed at a summit last month of Asian and African leaders in Indonesia.

At that meeting, Koizumi became the first prime minister from the conservative Liberal Democrat Party to use the words "deep remorse" and "heartfelt apology." Those were the same words that Socialist Prime Minister, Tomiichi Murayama, used in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the war's end.

In the April speech to a meeting of Asian and African leaders, Koizumi expressed his "deep remorse" for Japan's past atrocities, saying that, "Japan caused great damage and suffering to many countries, especially Asian nations, through its colonial rule (of Korea) and aggression."

A summit between the Roh and Koizumi is being pursued but no date has yet been set, Roh's office said.

Source: China Daily