At a rally in central Seoul to mark the anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule, tens of thousands of South Korean Christians demanded on Sunday that Japan officially nullify a 1910 accord to annex the Korean peninsula. It is estimated that the event drew about 150,000 people while organisers claimed one million Christians took part in rallies and prayer services nationwide. Historians say a pro-Japanese government in Seoul was forced to sign the accord to help Japan annex the peninsula in 1910 until its World War II defeat in 1945. “We declare the 1910 accord invalid and want the Japanese government to clarify its official position about this,” the Christians said in a statement. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan, offered an apology for Japan’s past actions, and is working to build stronger ties with South Korea.
