South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun, in his address to the nation Tuesday from Seoul, mentioned his visit two days earlier to the Independence Hall of Korea, in Cheonan, about 80 kilometers south of Seoul.

I have been there. The precincts contain seven pavilions filled with displays on the history of the Korean people and their struggle for independence from Japanese colonial rule. My tour guide told me that Independence Hall has attracted 8 million visitors in the less than one year since its opening.

When I was there, the most ``popular'' pavilion seemed to be the one known as the ``hall of Japanese aggression.'' People waiting to get in formed a line that stretched nearly 100 meters.

After his Sunday visit to Independence Hall, Roh gave his speech Tuesday at a venue just as emotionally reminiscent of the Japanese colonial era-a memorial hall dedicated to Yu Gwan Sun, a teenager who participated in the March 1 Independence Movement of 1919 against Japan. Known as ``Korea's Joan of Arc,'' Yu was captured and tortured to death by the Japanese.

Perhaps because of his pilgrimage, news reports describe Roh as coming out harsher than ever in demanding that Japan apologize and settle its history with the Korean people.

But while the general tone of his speech seems to bear out such reports, I personally got a somewhat different impression from some of the things he said.

Midway through his address, Roh said South Korea's relations with Japan have improved considerably. Referring to two past breakthroughs: former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama's expression of ``the deepest remorse and apology'' (in 1995) and the promise between then-President Kim Dae Jung and then-Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to establish a ``future-oriented'' relationship (in 1998), Roh noted that the two nations were ``bound together by destiny.''

He also renewed his appeal to ``Japanese intelligence,'' without making any distinction between Japan's government and its people. ``Through genuine self-reflection, we must start the healing process by clearing away mutual emotional grudges,'' he went on.

This seemed to be the plea that Roh was making deep in his heart, even though some of his words may have sounded harsh to Japanese ears.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 3(IHT/Asahi: March 4,2005)