national

S Korean activists to put 'comfort woman' statues in Asia

73 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2013 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

73 Comments
Login to comment

Again, I'd like to raise the current comfort women issue. Actually I don't care about the comfort women issue Japanese army caused. That's the history and over. Also it was just a problem lasting for five years or so though it was during the war time. However, the current comfort women problem has been going on for over half a century. Yes, the comfort women issue is still going on -- they changed the customers from the Japanese army to the USA army, but their business has kept on going. Please read the Stanford or Rhode Island university reports. They're a free report, then you can see who is behind the scene. This looks the nation related problem because the government seems involved, and perhaps that's why it's so hard for people to know this problem.

Modern day comfort women - University of Rhode Island. http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/modern_day_comfort_women.pdf

Also you can visit the page (modern comfort women) to know more, which is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Modern-Comfort-Women/389352384499538

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Korean say"Japan is the devil! Comfort women true!"

but Korean doesn't presented 『official documentary evidence』 even once.

Even though Korean? got about $288 billion from Japan.(Korea-Japan Basic Treaty of 1965)

Korean keep screaming. "Give me big money more!"

┐(´д`)┌

1 ( +1 / -0 )

We Japanese certainly apologize if the fault is clear. Please watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwv2qDJ57SY Please compare our behavior after the disaster of tsunami at 2011 with behavior of them in the 2002 FIFAWorld Cup. Which peoples do you think that is more honest?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Nessie: "Makes sense in Singapore. The monument to Korean sex slaves in the U.S. makes no sense."

Well, yes and no. Don't forget there are Korean communities all over the US (and of course Japanese), and probably amongst some of them are former sex-slaves. What's more, the US is one of the foremost voices in pushing Japan to admit its history and stop white-washing and denying the issue, with the Senate even passing legislation to that extent. They hold, and they do in Canada as well, exhibitions that teach about the issue, and show pictures (solid proof, despite the denials by the Japanese politicians), involve speeches, etc. So while it may seem a little strange to some in that women in the US were never forced into sexual slavery during the Japanese Imperial reign, if nothing else it is a show of support and not all that odd (again, if you exclude the fact that many Koreans and people of Korean decent live in the US and other nations).

"It would be like an Irish community in Mongolia erecting a statue commemorating the Bloody Sunday Massacre."

If it's an Irish community involved with it, what's wrong with it? And anyway, that's not that great of an analogy, really. It would be more like a country against nuclear power and using the horrors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and erecting a statue of Sadako as a symbol. It needn't be Japan to get the message across.

Regardless, this thread is talking about erecting statues in nations directly involved, so I see no problem even if you disagree with the statue in the US.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Vast Right-Wing: "Plus, as others have stated, the issue of compensation for Korea was settled decades ago. Japan doesn't owe another yen/won to Korea."

Agree with you on the Vietnam part. Many Japanese have no idea to the extent the Imperial forces massacred people across South-East and West Asia and not just its neighbours in East-Asia, but again given the white-washed textbooks and the nationalist history fed to them by the grandkids of war criminals, it's no surprise, really. Anyway, who says Vietnam won't be getting one at some point? The nation isn't mentioned alongside Singapore, China and Indonesia, but it does say 'other nations', and needless to say the countries in question would have to agree to the statue(s) being erected -- which would mean they acknowledge and stand behind it. A statue in Singapore or China is not remembering SKorean victims (except included as women raped by Japanese soldiers as a whole), but Singaporeans and Chinese, respectively.

As for the money thing: the Japanese solution of 'stick your head in the sand and mumble a half-hearted apology while holding an outstretched hand with cash in it' means nothing. I don't think the women should get any money (as I've said before), but they deserve to be heard and not whited out of history here. It would be an amazing gesture on Japan's part to let the women come and speak (for those who wish to go hear it), and for Abe or other government members to apologize in person, HEARTFELT, and ask the women to help Asia move on. Nope! Instead it's "we gave them some money already", or "it never happened", or worse yet is saying both (and therefore contradicting themselves) and trying to RESCIND apologies while claiming they've already apologized!

Only in Japan.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

hidingout: "hidingout: "More personal attacks. Are you able to argue any point without resorting to them."

Says the guy making a personal attack and who constantly refers to anyone who disagrees with him as a 'communist'. And yes, I am, and in fact the majority of my post is related to the thread and the poster's comment, not the poster himself. But I'm sorry, when a person well known for their denial of war time atrocities, an apologist for right-wing sentiment and white-washing, and worst of all in the comment I address saying people who wish to erect statues on behalf of women raped are 'demented'... well... if you don't think that deserves a bit of question then I guess you must think along the same lines as the poster at hand. I notice you don't say a thing about his reprehensible comment, only accuse me of something instead.

"Unless you can answer "yes" to both those questions I suggest you stop typing and start reading."

Says the guy who 'can't understand' why Korean people are unhappy with half-hearted apologies and the white-washing of history.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Makes sense in Singapore. The monument to Korean sex slaves in the U.S. makes no sense. It would be like an Irish community in Mongolia erecting a statue commemorating the Bloody Sunday Massacre.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I guess it would ALSO be fine if the Vietnamese were to start putting up statues comemmorating the crimes committed by South Korean soldiers during the Vietnam war. There are well documented massacres of civilians, rapes, and other atrocities. AFAIK, there has never been an apology or compensation given for these crimes.

Plus, as others have stated, the issue of compensation for Korea was settled decades ago. Japan doesn't owe another yen/won to Korea.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

“The statue will be built in a place where Japanese troops used to run a brothel,” she said, adding that other statues were planned in China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Any idea when the next statue going to be place in Malaysia? I fully support it. We shall remember the innocent victims.

@DonDon

Here's the link again about Russian women marrying Chinese men. Hope it works this time.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/dispatches/features/2009/where_russia_meets_china/why_are_siberian_russians_drawn_to_china.html

Here's another article also mention something similar.

In addition, as researches held by Olga Makhovskaya reveal, marriages between Chinese men and Russian women are also very successful. “

http://english.pravda.ru/society/family/29-04-2003/2688-family-0/

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I wonder if some Japanese denials is what spark this action to put comfort women statues.

@Y2JRock

The link about Russian women marrying Chinese men said Page Not Found(404).

0 ( +2 / -2 )

a bunch of you are saying Japan did no wrong

King of the hyperbole strikes again. Please point out anyone - really anyone - saying that.

supporters of such ignorance, like yourself.

That's a new low even for you

More personal attacks. Are you able to argue any point without resorting to them. Do you know what the 1965 agreement says? Are such agreements always considered binding in normal international relations? Unless you can answer "yes" to both those questions I suggest you stop typing and start reading.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Japan was bad, Japan was evil! Ok! Ok! But South Korea needs to worry about NORTH Korea and stop wasting time about Japan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I can't believe that there are still Japanese that try to deny war crimes. Japanese military forcing women into sex slavery does in fact happen Asia. If you go to SEA countries, our textbook describe Japanese military as evil. Women being rape and force to slavery is often heard when it comes to topic about Japanese occupation in Malaya.

Will Korea and Koreans ever be able to move on .... I doubt it, they really do have an inferiority complex when it comes to Japan.

Inferiority complex? Seriously? Kpop is beating Jpop. Japan is aging country full of virgin NEET. Japanese men don't make a good husband/boyfriend to the point Japanese women travel to poor country like Bali,Indonesia to get themselves Indonesia/Bali boyfriends/husbands.

http://www.tokyoreporter.com/2010/05/11/japanese-gals-flock-to-balis-beach-boys-for-lots-of-fun-fun-fun/ http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/11/japanese-women-find-love-bali.html-0 http://www.indoboom.com/2012/stories/japanese-women-travel-to-bali-for-sex-with-local-beach-boys.html

At least, in China, there's plenty of Russian women who marry Chinese men.

Cross-border marriages are overwhelmingly between Chinese men and Russian women

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/dispatches/features/2009/where_russia_meets_china/why_are_siberian_russians_drawn_to_china.html

If you are interested, you can google yourself 'Russian women marrying Chinese men' .

It's interesting to see that in the past, Japanese men try to enslave and rape women across Asia. Today, Japanese women abandon Japanese men and go for foreign men.I guess this is what you call karma.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Hidingout: "I have no idea why the Koreans keep banging on about this "issue""

Well, I'll give you a hint--the answer to the 'question' is the question itself.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Samuraiblue: "On the contrary it does, it helps soothe their demented ego."

Wow, statues to remember the thousands of women raped hundreds of times, and to honor them for having had to deal with such horror and suffering, is "demented"? That's a new low even for you. The statues are being put up to REMEMBER, so that history won't repeated by people that would rather see themselves as the victims and forget all the wrong doings they committed, and supporters of such ignorance, like yourself. THAT's what's truly demented.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Ossan: "nto it". That is false. The numbers of Koreans in the Imperial Japanese Armed Services far exceeded the recruitment quotas."

And then there's Ossan bringing in his usual off-topic, often made-up statistics while claiming the very victims who were there and have proven they were forced are wrong. Ossan, listen to yourself... This has NOTHZiNG to do with young men signing up to fight under the Japanese Imperial flag (or face death or imprisonment), it is about women being forced into sexual slavery! Stop changing the topic and address the facts--and it IS a fact women were forced into sexual slavery, much as it embarrasses you.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Its truly stupifying how many on this thread are defending the utterly indefenseable wtf! The whitewashing is working apparently.

Japan enslaved, Koreans, Chinese, Dutch, Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean AND EVEN ENSLAVED THEIR OWN WOMEN to work as sex slaves & a bunch of you are saying Japan did no wrong in this regard, some of you are seriously need to re-think this

1 ( +4 / -3 )

hidingout

Putting up a statue helps nobody.

On the contrary it does, it helps soothe their demented ego.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I have no idea why the Koreans keep banging on about this "issue" when their own government signed an agreement in 1965 that contained clauses stipulating that there would be no further discussion/compensation. Are the Japanese to be blamed because the Korean government squandered the money rather than paying it out to the victims as the agreement intended?

Putting up a statue helps nobody.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

"if you are not willing to forgive don't go asking the other guy to ask for an apology"

What the hell kind of stupid-ass backwards 'reasoning' is that, pal? Isn't it the other way around-- as in, "If you're not willing to admit wrongdoing and apologize, don't criticize the other guy for not being in a forgiving mood". And remember, it's impossible forgive someone when they deny doing anything wrong in the first place. So don't go yelling "But Japan apologized already!"-- do the Japanese normally apologize for things they did not do? Either admit you did evil, or don't say you apologized. You can't have it both ways.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

chucky3176Jan. 28, 2013 - 05:04AM JST OssanAmerica, Japan created the system, and provided the market for these women.

Yes the "market" were Imperial Japanese troops which included 240,000 Koreans, Incidentally these Comfort Women Stations serviced Japanese, Koreans and even Chinese as well. In fact the rates were established in that order. Additionally testimony by a "Comfort Woman" made to the US Army suggested that Indians were also users. In effect, anyone within the facilities and not an enemy combatant and had the money seems to have been able to utilize the services if they so chose.

And then once the women got to the battlefields where Japanese soldiers awaited them, the women had no choice >other then get raped. They were captives, do you even deny that? They weren't given a choice, so they were not >prostitutes.

You are very wrong. They were prostitutes recruited and employed by the Japanese military and they were paid for their services. US Army reports indicated that some women made far more money than the soldiers they serviced. I have no doubt that some incidents of rape occurred. I also have no doubts that some women were not happy to be there and therefore were there "against their will". However the image you have in your mind that they were all kidnapped into service, never paid and all raped is sheer fantasy.

Once again I repeat, it doesn't make one iota of a difference how the women got recruited.

Yes it does. A great many people who share your opinions seem to be under the impression that 200,000 Korean women were kidnapped into sex slavery. Let's stop and think about that- if 200,000 Korean girls and women were kidnapped, how could the Japanese governor of the Korean colony run the place without massive civil unrest? Furthermore, why would 240,000 Korean men volunteer to serve in the Japanese military of 200,000 wives, daughters and sisters were all kidnapped?

Even if by remote chance they volunteered under the false impression that they would be comforting the Japanese >soldiers, once they got to the battle fields and lost that choice of not providing the sex service, then it is considered >forced rape.

Actually, some women did have that choice. They earned the highest pay rates and they had enough authority to service only the higher ranking officers. Pretty remarkable if all the women were unpaid sex slaves, no?

What's so difficult about understanding this? But any way, that's my last word on this thread.

What's difficult for you to understand the issue is that your information is nothing but the standardized anti-comfort women issue arguments without any attempt to actually examine the information available. Please read the following: http://www.exordio.com/1939-1945/codex/Documentos/report-49-USA-orig.html

And if you feel that women used as military prostitutes is something very unusual and horrid; "By 1966, official military brothels had been established within each division’s camp. Each one was a two-building “recreation area” where 60 Vietnamese women lived and worked. The prostitutes decorated their cubicles with nude photographs from Playboy magazine and had silicone injected into their breasts to make the American soldiers feel more at home. " U.S. Army's "Comfort Women" in the Vietnam War From Susan Brownmiller, Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape, Ballantine Books, 1993

"Now, a group of former prostitutes in South Korea have accused some of their country’s former leaders of a different kind of abuse: encouraging them to have sex with the American soldiers who protected South Korea from North Korea. They also accuse past South Korean governments, and the United States military, of taking a direct hand in the sex trade from the 1960s through the 1980s, working together to build a testing and treatment system to ensure that prostitutes were disease-free for American troops." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/world/asia/08korea.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I apologize to all readers for being ill-mannered and ignorant.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

if you are not willing to forgive don't go asking the other guy to ask for an apology...he will always come short.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

OssanAmerica, Japan created the system, and provided the market for these women. And then once the women got to the battlefields where Japanese soldiers awaited them, the women had no choice other then get raped. They were captives, do you even deny that? They weren't given a choice, so they were not prostitutes. Once again I repeat, it doesn't make one iota of a difference how the women got recruited. Even if by remote chance they volunteered under the false impression that they would be comforting the Japanese soldiers, once they got to the battle fields and lost that choice of not providing the sex service, then it is considered forced rape. What's so difficult about understanding this? But any way, that's my last word on this thread.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

What the hell is up with the South Koreans? I have never heard the US keep demanding apologies from Germany and Italy like South Korea keeps asking for with Japan. Germany bombed the hell out of England but you never hear about Great Britain asking for apologies from Germany all the time. And don't they think the Germans took French women for their own pleasure? Are the French running around Europe with little statues?

We (US) don't teach our children to hate today's Germans and Italians (or Japanese) for their past generation's transgressions, but quite the opposite. We are taught about the rebuilding and the friendship that developed afterwards. We're proud that we turned from enemies to allies. The American people like them all. We only care about the future.

Do the S Koreans not realize that the Japanese caused the US incredible loss of life? That the US has every reason to dislike the Japan of the past as they do? But those people of yesterday's Japan are dead. Today's Japanese people weren't alive at the time. It's NOT their fault. The people whining and running around Asia with their little statues were not alive at the time. They were never hurt. They just want to act like they were hurt as an excuse to hate. Disgusting.

South Korea and Japan have common enemies. Working together now is what is important.

The bottom line is that Americans are unhappy that South Korea is depending on our country, our taxes, our children's lives, to protect them because they won't build a strong allied force with their neighbors to protect Asia and themselves. I have to pay taxes so people can run around Asia with their little statues and hate our other allied friends instead of taking care of themselves?

Schmucks.

JL

1 ( +7 / -4 )

chucky3176Jan. 28, 2013 - 02:27AM JST And OssanAmerica, just listen to yourself, predictably repeating the lies put out by Japanese right wing and 2ch... lol.. >it's not even worth debating with Japanese style Nazism. All I can say is there are no non-Japanese historians who >would agree with Japan's farcical claims that they were all volunteers. They're not even taken seriously. Next thing >you'll be telling me is biochemical experiements at Unit 731 was also volunteers. Oh wait, that's right, that's the claim >too. Everything was volunteered in Japan's world.

Yes please listen to what I am saying. I'm merely stating the truth, without which there will never be any resolution. You can find evidence to support everything I said all over the internet, provided one has the interest and is actually interested in real history ad facts,. not just japan-bashing Korean websites. Right wing in Japan have nothing to do with it. I have not stated that all comfort women were volunteers, so I don't know why you are even bringing that up, much less Unit 731 which has nothing to do with the Comfort Women issue. But it does expose your biased anti-Japan position in bringing up unrelated issues that simply share the "Japan is the bad guy" view. Since you did bring it up, real objective reading suggests that "volunteers" did exist and that newspaper ads looking for "recruits" were published. In Korea as well as in Japan prior to the end of WWII there existed a practice of patriarchal families "selling: their daughters off for various reasons starting with debt. These poor girls were being sold off and ending up God knows where well before the Comfort Women system came about. It doesn't take much to envision that many of them probably ended up there Then there are girls who were tricked and deceived into the system, probably through "trustworthy" locals who collaborated with the Japanese military to deliver. Kidnapped, yes that's also possible to some degree, But not the absurd "every comfort woman was kidnapped" argument so often repeated by those of your position.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

They should put a statue in the arrivals hall of the airports in Seoul and Beijing to remind the visiting Japanese.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

JamesBlonde and Mexicano, the ones who are putting up the statues are the ones who were raped but didn't get any justice. You want to tell them directly to their faces to stop it? Inferiority complex? Japan's going down the toilet, why would anyone have any inferiority complex toward Japan right now? That's silly, and not true.

Will Korea and Koreans ever be able to move on .... I doubt it, they really do have an inferiority complex when it comes to Japan.

And OssanAmerica, just listen to yourself, predictably repeating the lies put out by Japanese right wing and 2ch... lol.. it's not even worth debating with Japanese style Nazism. All I can say is there are no non-Japanese historians who would agree with Japan's farcical claims that they were all volunteers. They're not even taken seriously. Next thing you'll be telling me is biochemical experiements at Unit 731 was also volunteers. Oh wait, that's right, that's the claim too. Everything was volunteered in Japan's world.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

AlexNoaburgJan. 28, 2013 - 01:48AM JST The effect of Japan's war campaign has effects even today. The state of Korea was enfeebled by Japanese >occupation allowing for its division into two by Russia and the West. China's Nationalist party's army was weakened >by fighting the Japanese allowing the Communist Party to take over.

Total nonsense. Without Japanese intervention in 1904, the entire Korean penninsula would have been taken over by Russia. Russian troops remained in Manchuria after the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 was over to achieve that goal. That was made clear to Japan by the western powers, Germany and England and resulted in he Russo-Japanese War of 1904/05. Japanese military presence in Korea was since that time, not starting from the 1910 annexation. Korea, as a part of the Japanese Empire fought on the side of Imperial Japan during WWII. While Koreans, both South and North harp on those who resisted Japanese control, they rather conveniently forget those who rode the Imperial Japanese bandwagon. Immediately following the end of WWII, Koreans went into a denial of current history and suddenly decided they were "victims" of Imperial Japan. They were to an extent, but nowhere near the level that other Asian nations were. Korean troops in the Japanese military killed Chinese and Filipinos, something that has been whitewashed by the Korean government and people. Post WWII, Japan was as we all know an utterly defeated power and had nothing to do with events on the Korean peninsula. If the U,.S. had it's way all of the peninsula would have been the Republic of Korea. Unfortunately, Soviet empire building had already started in Europe well before WWII even ended and they took advantage of events to create and support North Korea. China, having just ousted the Republic China out to Taiwan joined the fray. Attempts to blame Japan for Korea's division is a complete stretch of historical events and facts, and is more reflective of the Korean complex and need to "blame Japan for everything" rather than reality.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Will Korea and Koreans ever be able to move on .... I doubt it, they really do have an inferiority complex when it comes to Japan.

Yes WWII was terrible, The Russians lost more than 20+ Million people during the conflict, YES 20+ Million and atrocities were commit by ALL SIDES during the war.

Move on Korea, let your hatred go, leave it in the past where it belongs, your current and future generations need not to be instilled with hatred from crimes committed over 70 years ago.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

chucky3176Jan. 28, 2013 - 01:49AM JST OssanAmerica, the majority of 200,000 men were forced into the Japanese imperial forces, many ended up as muels, >hauling ammos for Japanese forces. No, as I said before, you can't explain away the sex slaves by using examples of >a few Korean collaborators who may have volunteered for Japan. Japan created and ran the systems, they are the >only ones who are responsible.

Sorry but that's the usual response - "they were forced into it". That is false. The numbers of Koreans in the Imperial Japanese Armed Services far exceeded the recruitment quotas. Forced recruitment did not even go into effect until 1944 when Japan's victorious advances were over and they had already over run much of Asia. It's no mystery that so many Korean men signed up to join the Japanese military, they had Japanese citizenship, the pay was better than at home and it wasn't a dead end career as a good number of Koreans were promoted to Officers. They also had access to the Comfort Women System at a discount rate. US troops confronted Korean troops in he Phillipines and they were very tough fighters. Some perhaps too tough as they were charged as war criminals after the war ended. The argument that that Japanese "are the only ones responsible" is exactly why I can't blame the Japanese for disputing many aspects of the charges.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

ReformedBasher, type in "Japanese prostitutes" on Google, I get 5 million hits. What exactly is your point? Wait, think about this before the mod deletes your post for being off topic.

OssanAmerica, the majority of 200,000 men were forced into the Japanese imperial forces, many ended up as muels, hauling ammos for Japanese forces. No, as I said before, you can't explain away the sex slaves by using examples of a few Korean collaborators who may have volunteered for Japan. Japan created and ran the systems, they are the only ones who are responsible.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

The effect of Japan's war campaign has effects even today. The state of Korea was enfeebled by Japanese occupation allowing for its division into two by Russia and the West. China's Nationalist party's army was weakened by fighting the Japanese allowing the Communist Party to take over.

The East Asia today was molded long ago by the Japanese in WW2.

To deny the overwhelming evidence that the Japanese forced the women of their occupied lands into sexual slavery is like denying global warming, the Holocaust, that there's gravity.

South Korea is like a rape victim whose only recourse for justice is to put the statues up. Rape victims don't want to draw attention to their plight unless forced to, in this case by the Japanese's denial.

Since Japan does not make a memorial other than them as victims unlike the Germans, I am glad that Japan's victims are taking initiative to highlight Japan's atrocities, not because I hate Japan. I think all of us on this site love the country. But because we can see it going down a dark path of conservatism and then war.

For those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

The Japanese government should put up monuments all over the world apologizing for the Comfort Women system, the text of the 1965 South Korea-Japan Treaty pertaining to compensation to individuals, and a list of the 240,000 names of Korean men who served in the Imperial Japanese armed forces. No point in screaming about the "truth" if you're only going to scream about half of it.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

@Pukey2

My point is that although Japan has apologized and set up funds to be dispersed Many Westerners and outside actors full of anti-Japanese rhetoric really love to push this issue but crimes committed by others such as the Dutch, after WW2 are not only ignored but no apology are money has been offered. And ironically the the International Criminal Court is in The Hague. If they want to catch some war criminals all they have to do is go outside.

Westerners sure get upset about things Japan did but ignore the things Europeans did. Why is that?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I can sympathise with the anger of these women and support their cause. But it was not only the women od south Korea that were enslaved, There was Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and all the way through to New Guinea. It really gets under mt goat to hear the J-Gov deny and denounce what the Japanese military did throughout Asia during the first half of the last century. I can accept that history is history, but there is no need to deny it Japan. Show your honor and admit to what you did and if you have the guts, offer compensation. A written apology means a bout as much as this post. Bugger all!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@Chuck

ReformedBasher, Japan has always shown a two face to the issue. One is they make apologies, then they turn around and say Japan did nothing wrong. It's the double face such as in this case, with Japanese writing letter bombs to United States senate and newspapers, claiming these women were prostitutes.

Are these Japanese the same person in each case. Or are you unable to distinguish between individual Japanese who say different things?

By the way Chucky, try typing "Korean Prostitutes" in Google and having a look at results with auto-suggest turned on. It's enlightening.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

ReformedBasher, Japan has always shown a two face to the issue. One is they make apologies, then they turn around and say Japan did nothing wrong. It's the double face such as in this case, with Japanese writing letter bombs to United States senate and newspapers, claiming these women were prostitutes. It doesn't matter what average Japanese think, they were never sympathetic in the beginning. There had been very few criticisms of their government officials and their policies, therefore they keep electing the same type of people.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Since the Japanese Gov has put up a hard line on this issue it is really up to the people. =Have a petition and have people sign it. But look at Okinawa and still the Gov will not listen even with 100,000s protesting.

I would put up these statues, with a reflection/donation well, with petitions (books) for people to sign explaining the cause. It will be a slow process. People can take a photo at one of these and post on the internet. People can donate time for this issue.

These are crimes against culture, families and the weakest of society by men and government. -exactly what is forefront in India right now. =this is a world issue that SK can champion.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

If they were fooled into being sex slaves, then had no option to leave, when they found out they had service dozens of Japanese men per day at gun point.. yes definitely they were forced. It's you who don't understand what the issue is. If they were forced to have sex in battle fields, and had not option to leave, then they were sex slaves. It doesn't matter how they were recruited.

The current argument is whether or not the Japanese army went around Korea knocking down doors to take women at gunpoint

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Did you even read your own link, Upgrayedd? Your own document that you posted, says the women were fooled into being sex slaves and it's written detail, the deceitful methods on recruiting them. As for Japanese comfort women, they probably were prostitutes. Japanese military government valued their own people more highly and would not have mistreated their own race as much as others. Japan can play with word symantecs all they want, in attempts to cloud and divert the issue, but it's not going stop these victims from putting up their statutes.

The current argument is whether or not the Japanese army went around Korea knocking down doors to take women at gunpoint to Burma to be a sex slave and whether or not that was a defining characteristic of the system. The truth is those things happened but it was not a common occurrence and not a major characteristic of the comfort woman system.

That is the current argument between SK and Japan.

Were Japanese comfort women sex slaves?

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Korean hysterical madness continues......

I love it! I'm sure this will be shooting itself in the foot.

technospere and issa1... hardly. LOL on both. One of Japan's biggest weaknesses is its insularity and almost complete inability to truly understand other cultures and, therefore, empathize with the feelings of the people of those countries. There is this feeling of the world consisting of Japan, and every where else. And that is why this issue still resonates in this way decades later. Don't you see how ironic it is that Japan has this incredible victim mentality and wants world-wide sympathy every August when it commemorates the dropping of the A-bombs, but, then turns around and disparages-- like you have done -- the victims of its brutality?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

kazetsukai: "If you do really have the "idealism" for peace, work toward not "blaming" one or the other, but in finding "workable" ways to bring finality to all this emotional outbursts."

Very good point, and the best way to bring finality to the issue and start the real healing process is to actually address history and try to make amends instead of saying it never happened and hoping those who were victims die so it can completely swept under the rug and the younger generation (of Japanese) brainwashed into believing what people who were born well after the fact tell them what 'actually' happened.

The only somewhat sincere apology to come from a Japanese leader on this issue, and the suffering Imperial Japan wrought on its neighbours in general, is now in the process of being rescinded by the current, nationalist, Prime Minister, who has previously claimed sexual slavery never happened. Until Japanese politicians (and many of Japan's people) grow up and learn that you cannot be loved by force and lead through lies, threats, and brainwashing, the issue will indeed never go away, and rightly so. Japan should suck it up, admit what happened and second the previous apology, and while I don't think any monetary renumeration should be given, I think a willingness to hear the victims' stories and include that element of history in the books instead of editing it out would go a very, very long way and show how much Japan has grown.

Until then, it's walking backwards.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

As mentioned it is the "ideologues", those who believe that they are "righteous" by having lived in an "idealized" world that are "dangerous". It is not "reality" to demand multiple or continuous apologies and compensation from the decedents of those who may have committed atrocities during what was a terrible war. That is exactly the kind of attitude that keeps the Jews and Muslims at war for thousands of years

If you do really have the "idealism" for peace, work toward not "blaming" one or the other, but in finding "workable" ways to bring finality to all this emotional outbursts. Otherwise it will take many many more generations to settle all this... and those generations don't even know what a war is like. Then they may even start one just to find out. Then what?...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

All that a few organized groups need is the "cause", the "excuse" to take action without regard for what that may bring.

Some people making the living or business related with Japan may want to kiss Japanese boots for pleasing. Comfort Women have rights or excuse to take action regardless for what that people think or threaten. After all those posters were young enough to be their grand kids. Who cares what they think or lecture? The world is not owned by them.

Those who feel "victimized" continue to cry out for "recognition" and subsequently "assistance" in the guise of “compensation” of one form or another.

Another victim bashing theory. Those comfort women are in advanced age and not many left over. J authority want them to be quiet and move forward. They white washed the history as they were the prostitutes making the living. It was an cruel insult for them. They have rights to hight light their suffering. Claiming compensation is largely symbolic. New generation will visit the statue and renew the memory of imperial army war time atrocities.

It appears that both China and S. Korea want that spark.

Abe is the one made the spark during his first term for declaring them as fraud. Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan, North Korea also included for comfort women movement. Japan can not pretend as it was a Saint during the WWII. Whether Japanese or their collaborators like it or not, Japan alone can unify the Asians for common cause. The course of Asian Nations or aging comfort women are not depending on lectures from West or Japan.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

SamuraiBlue: "Or it could be just Korea's provocative against Japan regardless of the truth."

Yeah, because you know the truth a lot better than the people who were actually there, right? I mean, the grandchildren of people who engaged in slavery for profit (like Aso and Abe), and probably forcing women into sexual slavery, also know more than the people who were there and told you so, so who can question the 'historians' and nationalists who weren't there?

Fact is that many were forced, yes forced, to 'service' the Imperial troops across Asia. Abe tried to deny this in his first PM stint, and was later forced to admit Imperial troops went to sex-slaves after the US Senate gave them proof they simply could not deny, and it was getting even more international attention.

I think these statues are a great idea, but no doubt 'nationalists' like the one what travelled to the US to deface the statue recognizing and remembering the horrors of sexual slavery will do the same with other such statues (or try).

0 ( +6 / -5 )

Foolish people. That was the Japanese government at that time not the government now. Japan is different and paid heavily for it s wars. You need to forgive and forget and stop stirring up anger from the past. You need to unite because there is a much worse danger lurking over your shoulder in N K. and the coming world government

4 ( +8 / -5 )

Well... the war... militarily is over. Everything started with a simple economic motivated aggression encouraged and initially supported by even the USA and Great Britain and most European nations at that time. It ended with a lot of human suffering and losses with very little satisfaction for those appeared to have won against Japan, that experienced the continuation of that war by Communist Russia and China; namely China, Korea, and Viet Nam.

The subsequent lack of satisfactory moral, ethical, emotional, and visibly and physically graspable benefits following the winning of the war, continue to "haunt" those who are seeking "identity" and "closure", be it symbolically or economically. As all wars are "economic wars" the obvious is that the resolution sought by those making claims, especially at the governmental / political levels are basically economically motivated, taking advantage of the yet unsettled victims and their cries. It is especially important for those political powers to do so when economic and political woes threaten the stability of the country and the retention of power. So it is with China and Korea.

While many other nations and people even here in Japan (including Viet Nam, Indonesia, and even N. Korea in its own way), have "continued on" / "live on forward" to actively and positively recover from the effects of the war, economically and otherwise. Those who feel "victimized" continue to cry out for "recognition" and subsequently "assistance" in the guise of “compensation” of one form or another.

With the full blown "economic war" and possible military one on the horizon with the apparent weakening posture of the one very domineering USA, those demanding voices become louder and actions bolder. Remember… WWII ended only 70 years ago and we still had and have WARS all over the world even when USA dominated and tried to “police” the conflicts. And… the UN is as all knows pathetically “corrupt” and “misguided” with almost NO power whatsoever other than to “take” money from the wealthier countries in the name of “humanity”, playing on the “guilt” conscience of those doing well.

Arguing the past is very "dangerous" for all nations at this time. From Europe to, Middle East to even Asia there are economic instability and inequity with more and more unable to meet "expectations". In most cases that is not "reality". However, the massive populations motivated by "self-righteous ideologies" and "physical needs", empowered by communication and transportation technologies and the availability of massive destructive arsenals, will be the "spark" to a larger scale confrontation. All that a few organized groups need is the "cause", the "excuse" to take action without regard for what that may bring.

It appears that both China and S. Korea want that spark.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I love it! I'm sure this will be shooting itself in the foot.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Information warfare.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

awesome idea and great looking statue

love the message

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

If Japan had actually done something concrete like not whitewashing history and trying to set up memorials to those that suffered in the hands of the Imperial Army, then we wouldn't be in this never-ending mess. It is not too late (not all the victims are dead yet), but I wouldn't hold my breath. The Japanese government can do something now or they can lose face.

proxy:

They should put the Indonesian one up in front of the Dutch embassy where the woman demanding compensation for Dutch crimes protest.

The subject is sexual slavery carried out by the Imperial Army. How the Netherlands (who had some of their own citizens put into slavery by the Imperial Army) can be blamed for this, I don't know. I find that people who just won't admit to any wrong-doing try to deflect attention toward some unrelated matter, just like politicians here.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

The sad thing is that both Japan and South Korea are rather notorious countries for trafficking girls and woman today; South Korea far worse on a per capita basis. I would much rather see the South Korean government and Korean protesters put their time and money into stamping out human trafficking and providing shelters for the 100 000 Korean girls every year who run away from home to escape school exam pressures and wind up getting tricked into prostitution. Or putting a stop to Koreans offering high wages to poor Chinese girls and then forcing them into prostitution when they arrive in Korea.

Both Japanese men and Korean men, in large numbers travel to other Asian countries to pay to have sex with children NOW and for the most part they are unpunished.

Those are real issues. Japan is guilty for what goes on now, and so is South Korea.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In essence the Japanese right-wing, which includes Abe, are ethically no different from those people who deny the Nazi Holocaust. Let the little statues flourish. Maybe countries will make illegal to deny Japanese crimes against humanity as they have in regard to denying the Nazi Holocaust

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Keep crying for eternity....what a shame!!! What about putting posters on every home and every street?? Keep living in past Koreans and Chinese! I am neither Japanese nor related to all these countries but if I simply compare with other war crimes commited by ruling states, they are not crying yet (for example Indians are not always crying about being ruled by British and many more cases like that) And even if Japanese government compensates them AGAIN and offer APOLOGY again, we will see these people crying after ten years again!

6 ( +12 / -6 )

Korean hysterical madness continues......

0 ( +9 / -9 )

In case anyone of you interested, here's more information on comfort women.

Japan's Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery and Prostitution During World War II

http://books.google.com.my/books?id=4qdLb-LKtpgC&pg=PA33&dq=procurement+of+women+and+their+lives&hl=en&sa=X&ei=y-8EUaCtFMm4rAf164CoCQ&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=procurement%20of%20women%20and%20their%20lives&f=false

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

the question is what had South Korean did to their so called comfort women? I only hear them using such term, never heard them doing actual help though...

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

"Historians say about 200,000 women from Korea, China, the Philippines and other countries were drafted to work in Japanese army brothels in Asia." What historian claims that???????? That may be the total number of "sex workers" but any "real" historian will tell you that the number "drafted" is between 10 000 and 20 000. As long as these numbers are wildly exaggerated, the right wing type in Japan will feel justified in denying that comfort woman existed.

They should put the Indonesian one up in front of the Dutch embassy where the woman demanding compensation for Dutch crimes protest.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Hansaram

Evidence documenting sex-slave coercion revealed

But no evidence was revealed. They say they have but they don't show it. If you have some provide a link.

-6 ( +9 / -14 )

People should know Comfort women is Sex slaves and prostitution is another form of sex slavery, just glamorized word. Do prostitutes themselves wanting to sell sex for money? I don't think any human being wanted to sell sex for quick money if they're given better choice or opportunity. People should know prostitutes are also victim of sex industry dominated by underground criminals & corrupted people who buys sex, without the demand there wouldn't be supply.

Have you guys actually read the passage from link provided by previous poster? http://www.exordio.com/1939-1945/codex/Documentos/report-49-USA-orig.html RECRUITING;

Early in May of 1942 Japanese agents arrived in Korea for the purpose of enlisting Korean girls for "comfort service" in newly conquered Japanese territories in Southeast Asia. The nature of this "service" was not specified but it was assumed to be work connected with visiting the wounded in hospitals, rolling bandages, and generally making the soldiers happy. The inducement used by these agents was plenty of money, an opportunity to pay off the family debts, easy work, and the prospect of a new life in a new land, Singapore. On the basis of these false representations many girls enlisted for overseas duty and were rewarded with an advance of a few hundred yen.

The majority of the girls were ignorant and uneducated, although a few had been connected with "oldest profession on earth" before. The contract they signed bound them to Army regulations and to war for the "house master " for a period of from six months to a year depending on the family debt for which they were advanced ...

Approximately 800 of these girls were recruited in this manner and they landed with their Japanese "house master " at Rangoon around August 20th, 1942. They came in groups of from eight to twenty-two. From here they were distributed to various parts of Burma, usually to fair sized towns near Japanese Army camps.

Basically, they're hired by Japanese military under deception and false promises of good pay and working condition and the link basically saying they were sex slaves, go on read the entire article.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Fyi, Korean women were Not only comfort women who served as prostitutes to Japanese military during 1910~-1945, there are Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Indonesian, Malaysian etc..

As someone from Malaysia, I can guarantee you that comfort women exist even here in Malaysia and women were force into brothel.

[History Channel] Rising Sun Over Malaya

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLx0V0GK4-A

0 ( +7 / -7 )

I don't think you understand or have been following the current debate over this in Japan. The Japanese government already apologized for the pain and trauma the women experienced. The current argument is whether or not the Japanese army went around Korea knocking down doors to take women at gunpoint to Burma to be a sex slave and whether or not that was a defining characteristic of the system.

The truth is those things happened but it was not a common occurrence and not a major characteristic of the comfort woman system.

That is the current argument between SK and Japan.

Were Japanese comfort women sex slaves?

-1 ( +13 / -13 )

In any occupied territory, there are going to be collaborators who will sell out their countrymen down the river for their own gains. But does that excuse Japan's well maintained sex slave system which took these women into battle fields to be used as sex slaves? These women suffered horrendous battlefield casualties. The men who ran the system were Japanese. The men who allowed the system were Japanese. The men who were in charge of the policy were Japanese. Without their approval and without their knowledge, this system wouldn't have existed. Blaming some collaborators who were looking to line their own pockets, or victims who really thought they were going to work in factories to help support their poor families, does not absolve Japan. Show me one non-Japanese historian who say those women were volunteer sex workers. Most non Japanese historians do not support Japan's position. Sex slave issue is accepted as fact in all the world's countries, except Japan.

3 ( +14 / -12 )

Fyi, Korean women were Not only comfort women who served as prostitutes to Japanese military during 1910~-1945, there are Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Indonesian, Malaysian etc.. the fact about if these women were NOT prostitutes or forced sexual slaves is NOT important, what's important is Japanese government is NOT recognizing them as victim which is down right shame because these who served Japanese military are all victims due to the fact Japanese government surrendered to U.S allies, therefore Japanese gov have accepted all their war crimes, sadly many war criminals avoided punishment from war crime tribunal and Washington didn't cared as long as Japan served as base for housing U.S military.

Given these few survivals (comfort women) are protesting that they're victims of Japanese then we need to at least pay attention to them with humanly dignity since they're all dying, denying them completely or painting them as just mere prostitutes isn't right thing to do, it's like saying since you have volunteered as sex workers therefore you don't have any right. Japan is listed as one of few nation of Asia that respect human rights therefore claiming them as prostitutes is like insult to them. Beside, why Japanese government only came up with this now? why didn't Japanese said they're prostitutes back when Japan surrendered to U.S ally? why Japan have accepted their wrong doing and gave up entire country to U.S ally ? The fact is Japan surrendered therefore any excuses from Japanese gov is null unless Japan re-visit war crime tribunal and re-open the case to identify real victims and war criminals, but I don't think Japanese government will take this path since many of these war criminal's descendents still runs Japanese government.

Btw, why didn't these prostitutes went to their homeland during the war if they're NOT forced to serve Japanese military?, there's even Indonesian woman who said she was taken by Japanese military to served as sex slave for over 20 years and she was only 14 years old at the time. C'mon if these claims are real then Japanese government is hiding something considering Japanese gov is lying about Fukushima radiation leak even to Japanese citizen. We demand full investigation by UN and ICJ.

1 ( +13 / -12 )

Let's face the inconvenient fact. Despite South Korea being prosperous more than ever, there are estimated to be over 100,000 Korean prostitute working overseas, most notably where these statutes are in place as well as the fact that at least half operate in Japan

.So you are saying that there are roughly 50,000 South Korean women working in Japan today as prostitutes? 50,000?

You have GOT to be kidding, 500, ok, 5,000 maybe......50,000? sounds more than a little bit of exaggeration.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Japan's PM apologizes to WWII-era sex slaves

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17795448/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/japans-pm-apologizes-wwii-era-sex-slaves/#.UQTDqvLxmC8

Evidence documenting sex-slave coercion revealed

http://info.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20070418a5.html

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Or it could be just Korea's provocative against Japan regardless of the truth.

-7 ( +12 / -19 )

An EXCELLENT idea, hope to see one here in japan one day, wouldnt THAT be something!

0 ( +9 / -9 )

Fivegogo2003...it's been proven by historian that the imperial Japanese army forced women into the sex salves. I cannot believe any women who would volunteer to perform sexual intercouse with 100plus men per day. You have to be joking if you think these poor women volunteered. Your comment not only shame these women but all women throughout the world.

Japan is a great country and its politicians should stop trying to revise history and move on. Trying to revise history does nothing but create mistrust between Asian counties.

2 ( +11 / -9 )

You can see the Japanese petitions here and where the letters were sent to. You can't expect these women who have suffered under the Japanese, and their advocate activists, to do nothing, while Japan successfully revises what is largely accepted as history by most historians.

http://sakura.a.la9.jp/japan/

-1 ( +12 / -13 )

This article fails to mention why these S.Korean activists are doing this. It's in response to Japanese government's revisionist attempts that says these women were prostitutes. Japanese government and Japanese nationalists are even engaged in letter writings to the US government officials, flooding them with letters claiming these women were prostitutes. Obviously Japan needs a big fat reminder again that they can't just white wash what they don't like.

-1 ( +14 / -15 )

This is very good deal. How about the Americas and Europe? What about making amulets and rings honoring these victims of Japanese imperialism? Surely there ways ordinary people can show their support.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites