bbc에서

Japanese 95-year-old sets record

Kozo Haraguchi was the only man running A 95-year-old Japanese man has slashed the world 100 metres sprint record for men aged 95-99, clocking 22.04 seconds. Kozo Haraguchi, who only took up running aged 65, was the only person in his race in the southern city of Miyazaki. He took almost two seconds off the previous record in this age group, which stood at 24.01. Mr Haraguchi said that it was the first time he had raced in the rain, and he was concentrating hard on not slipping. "Everyone was cheering me on so I kept thinking I mustn't fall over," he told reporters. Mr Haraguchi also holds the world record for the same distance in the 90-94 age range, of 18.08 seconds. He said the secret of his success was taking an hour-long daily walk around his neighbourhood.         Japan-Korea dispute unresolved The two men found little to agree upon The leaders of Japan and South Korea made little progress in easing their troubled ties during talks in Seoul. "In some areas there was understanding, but there was no agreement," said South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. Relations have been hurt by a row over history books, disputed islands and the Japanese prime minister's visits to a shrine to the country's war dead. Protestors greeted the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi by burning the Japanese flag. Mr Roh and Mr Koizumi held two hours of talks, followed by a brief, sombre press conference at which they refused to take questions. Mr Roh said he had an "honest and sincere discussion" with Mr Koizumi. "It is very important to emphasise each others' willingness for peace and to enhance exchanges and strengthen co-operation, but it is difficult to say that peace in the future can be guaranteed with just that," he added. Mr Koizumi did agree to consider establishing an alternative to the Yasukuni Shrine - which honours those killed in Japan's conflicts, including convicted war criminals - Mr Roh said. "I told him that I take to heart the sentiments of Koreans about the past," Mr Koizumi said. The two sides also agreed to a second round of joint history studies - a project announced in 2001 following a summit between Mr Koizumi and then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung aimed a promoting mutual understanding. The BBC's correspondent in Seoul, Charles Scanlon, says that this was never going to be an easy meeting after months of recrimination between the two sides. North Korea The neighbours, both US allies, also said they would push for North Korea to return to talks on its nuclear weapons. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il told a South Korean envoy during talks last week that Pyongyang may return to negotiations if the US showed it more respect. He also said that Pyongyang was willing to give up its missiles if it could establish diplomatic relations with Washington, according to South Korean reports on Monday. South Korea also said on Monday that the North, threatened by worsening food shortages, had requested another 150,000 tonnes of fertilizer aid. The South agreed to send its neighbour 200,00 tons of it in May, and deliveries were completed on Sunday. Mr Koizumi's visit attracted small demonstrations for much of the day, amid widespread public anger at his attitude to Japan's colonial past. "We denounce Prime Minister Koizumi for spearheading Japan's revival of militarism that is driving Asia again into a conflict," the protesters said in a statement. Both South Korea, which Japan annexed between 1910 and 1945, and China, which Japan invaded in 1931, have attacked Mr Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni shrine and new school history books as a glorification of Japanese militarism. Mr Koizumi maintains he prays for peace at the shrine, and has previously dismissed calls for a secular national war memorial.