President Yoon holds lunch with fellow Japanese atomic bomb victims... ``Sorry for being late.'' = South Korea

On the 29th, South Korean President Yoon Seo-gyul and his wife invited fellow Japanese atomic bomb victims, saying, ``It took 78 years for the government to invite you,'' and ``It was too late.''
I'm sorry," he said. On the morning of the same day, President Yun held a ``Lunch Meeting Inviting Compatriots Who Have Been Victims of the Atomic Bomb'' at the Guest House of the Cheonghwa Dae, and held a ``mid-autumn celebration,'' which is the nation's biggest festival.
I'm glad to be able to celebrate the New Year with everyone." President Yun took the opportunity of attending the G7 Summit held in Hiroshima in May this year, and met with atomic bomb survivors and their descendants.
He promised that he would invite his compatriots to his homeland in the evening. President Yoon said, ``Tens of thousands of Koreans lost their lives and livelihoods due to the atomic bomb damage,'' adding, ``While living in a foreign country during the colonial era,
"The sadness and pain would have been even greater because of the damage they had suffered." He continued, ``I would like to remind you that Korea-Japan relations, which have been strained for a long time, have made everyone's lives difficult.
"The government will no longer turn away from the pain of our fellow citizens." He also said, ``In May this year, I was in Hiroshima with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to honor the Korean atomic bomb victims.
"I paid my respects at the cenotaph," he said, "and vowed to pay homage to the atomic bomb victims who suffered the ravages of war in a faraway land, and to work together to create a future of peace and prosperity."
He continued, ``Our government will cooperate with Japan, our closest neighbor, with whom we share the universal values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law.''
We will continue to promote peace and prosperity within the region and around the world." He added, ``Our consolation for your pain and sacrifices does not end here today,'' and ``we will continue to develop South Korea-Japan relations in a future-oriented manner.''
We will do our best to fully support our compatriots."