Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Friday expressed deep condolences over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who was known for his historic apology to Asian victims of Japan's wartime aggression.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Murayama was best known for the landmark 1995 "Murayama Statement," in which he expressed remorse for Japan's colonial rule and aggression in Asia. He passed away on Friday at the age of 101.
"As prime minister of Japan, he was the first to explicitly acknowledge Japan's past as an act of 'aggression' and delivered a sincere apology along with a courageous recognition of history," Rep. Park Soo-hyun, chief spokesperson for the DP, said in a press release.