It was an anniversary of thedeath of Kanayama, the 2nd Japanese ambassador to Korea.
During his term as Japanese ambassador, at the request of President Park Chung-hee, he persuaded Nippon Steel to cooperate in building POSCO, which helped establish Korea’s steel, shipbuilding, auto and semiconductor industries.
Ambassador Kanayama was charmed by Mr. Choi Seo-myeon and dedicated himself to Korean-Japanese relations with Mr. Choi. He said that “I want to stay close to Choi and help Korean-Japanese relations” and was buried in the family grave of Mr. Choi in Paju.
Among people gathered at the anniversary were 30 women from Japan living in Paju.
They had been sincerely serving their Korean husbands and their beloved children, wondering how to pay the debt of Japan from the period of Japanese colonial rule. They found out that Ambassador Kanayama, who contributed to the Friendship between Korea and Japan, was buried in Paju 3 years ago and said that they would clean the grave and honor his wishes with gratitude.
While the beautiful friendship between Kanayama and Choi is touching, seeing how these beautiful hearts show up after Kanayama and Choi are gone, I think that their devotion paid off in the end.
People who were devoted and people who I just met for the first time – the world is a beautiful place.
I attach my speech of that day below~
2021 11 1
Lying Next to Choi Seo-myeon
I have never met Ambassador Masahide Kanayama.
But I was so moved to hear from Mr. Choi about the friendship between Mr. Choi and Mr. Kanayama that I feel like I have met him.
Mr. Choi used to invite me to come pay respect to Mr. Kanayama’s grave in Paju. It’s only today that I stand here, thinking of the meaning of the lives of those two people.
As is well known, Ambassador Kanayama was a diplomat dedicated to Korea-Japan relations. And Mr. Choi Seo-myeon was a respected voice in Korea-Japan relations, maintaining that we should 'criticize but have the generosity to walk in the other party’s shoes' He founded the Institute for International Relations at the Korea Institute in Tokyo, and appointed Ambassador Kanayama as its head. The ambassador declined high-ranking positions suggested by Japanese Foreign Office to focus on Korean-Japanese relations.
While Ambassador Kanayama’s love for Korea was great, I think Choi Seo-myeon’s unique charm played a big part in it. It’s impossible to talk about Kanayama without talking about Choi Seo-myeon.
25 years ago, Ambassador Kanayama came to pay respect to Mr. Choi’s mother at the Choi family grave, and said that he wanted to be burried there when he died, to talk about about Korean-Japanese relations with Mr. Choi. He had been lying there for 23 years – and finally last year, Mr. Choi was buried there himself next to ambassador Kanayama who had been waiting next to the empty grave.
The epitaph written by Poet Ku Sang records the will of Ambassador Kanayama 'I will help and watch Korean-Japanese relations even after death' I remember his attending Independence Movement Day ceremony despite massive objection after the Korea Japan Normalization Treaty. He was the only Japanese ambassador to do so.
The two led Friendship between Korea and Japan to the degree where no one else could follow, both intellectually and spiritually.
I am sorry that the two countries which should be close for geological and historical reasons – in fact, we are related by blood as many people went from Korea to Japan 1,400 years ago – have the worst relations now. But I trust that things will get better thanks to these people who cooperate in Friendship between Korea and Japan even when dead, and in addition, my mother’s ardent wish for peace through her poetry.
Watch over us, as we will take on the wishes of these great people who will continue to talk about Korea-Japan cooperation even after death.
My mother’s poetry of peace, that the leaders of Korea and Japan recited at the summit, begins thus.
An ardent wish I have that two countries will be without fight
절실한 소원이 나에게 하나 있지 다툼 없는 나라와 나라가 되어라
切実な望みが一つ吾れにあり 諍いのなき国と国なれ
Mr. Choi Seo-myeon’s grave – Paju Nov 1 2021 
I will watch over and help Friendship between Korea and Japan after death
– written by Poet Ku Sang
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