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Sex slave rally in Seoul

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College students wearing traditional costumes bow to former comfort women, wearing caps, who say they were forced to serve as sex slaves for Imperial Japanese Army members during World War II, at a rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday. The group is demanding full compensation and an apology from the Japanese government.

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tinawatanabeFeb. 16, 2015 - 05:50PM JST

I've never claimed my opinion represent the Japanese.

tinawatanabeFeb. 19, 2015 - 12:13AM JST

You don't know how much Japanese are suffering from South Korea's bullyings. Please ask any Japanese.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

JoeBigs Feb. 20, 2015 - 11:21PM JST If I agreed to pay you X amount (being any amount of money) in compensations so you could pay the people and the families I had harmed in the past and you agreed to pay those people the money I gave you for their recovery. But, then you decided to use that compensation money to help your own family and your friends families make themselves even more wealthy then why would I want to pay you even more money? Japan paid the Park's (father) government tons of cash (1965) so it would pay the victims of Japan's aggressions.

Show me where in the 1965 treaty that "comfort Issue" was resolved? In 1965, the Japanese goverment asked Korean goverment to show the concrete number of conscripted workers and soldiers, dead and injured and how much unpaid wages were. They asked to "show the evidences and they would pay". Korea agreed and investigated them. What I want to clarify here is that Korea didn't claim the compensation for the war time prostitutes. Why didn't they? It's because there was no abducted prostitute. Nobody said at the time in Korea, those prostitutes were abducted. Everyone knew there were many women who were so poor that they sold themselves to live and the Japan army didn't have to abduct Korean women. There were many Korean volunteers for Japan army at the time. Therefore Koreans didn't claim it at that time. The Korean goverment did not disclose and pursue the comfort women issue at the time. It's still an open issue that has not been resolved.

Regarding China, the facts are that most of Japan's victims, including millions in China, have not received a penny. Compare Germany's direct compensation of WWII victims to Japan. Germany has compensated $70 billion to only $1 billion for Japan. The small minority of cases in which compensation has been paid, the sums have been laughable. Why has there not been more pressure on Japan to do the right thing by countless innocent victims? In the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951, signed by the U.S., Japan, and many other nations, this treaty formally settled all issues arising out of the war. However, China was not a signatory of this treaty, which of course was by far the largest group of potential claimants for compensation.

When China began opening up in the 70s, one of Japan's first moves was to press Zhou Enlai, to renounce the Chinese people's claims to compensation. For reasons that have never been made clear, he duly did so. His renunciation was endorsed by Deng Xiaoping in the late 70s, and Japan promised to favor China in its foreign-aid program. Japan's ODA amounted to over $6 billion. While this did essentially nothing for the victims, Chinese officials got to designate the projects on which Japan's money would be spent. Compensation issued was settled already.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

sfjp330Feb. 19, 2015 - 07:37AM JST Japan couldn't pay direct compensation?

International agreements are no different than agreements people make with one another. The only difference is the scale of those agreements.

Let us think about this legally and reasonably. (ask yourself, why has South Korea and Communist China not taken their arguments with Japan before the ICJ?

If Communist China and Korea had any legal footing they would gladly bring their argument before the international community......

But, they don't and they won't.

Let's play the game of realism.......

If I agreed to pay you X amount (being any amount of money) in compensations so you could pay the people and the families I had harmed in the past and you agreed to pay those people the money I gave you for their recovery. But, then you decided to use that compensation money to help your own family and your friends families make themselves even more wealthy then why would I want to pay you even more money?

Japan paid the Park's (father) government tons of cash (1965) so it would pay the victims of Japan's aggressions. but the South Korean government (President Park #1) decided to use that compensation money to use it to make the wealthy families of his friends even more wealthy! Who is to blame?......

The problem is not what Japan has not hasn't done......

The problem is what the Korean government has failed to do!!!

Kind of hard looking into the void without falling into it!

South Korea is living a lie and it's leaders are using propaganda to try and make it's people believe it.....

It seems as though the people have fallen for it hook line and sinker!

But with all lies, they always come back and bite you on the arse........

One day the Korean people will wake up and stop killing poor animals because of the hatred their own government has placed into their minds!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

JoeBigsFeb. 19, 2015 - 07:16AM JST The fund was started by the government and I'll give you why the government couldn't officially pay in a second. The government paid nearly 10 million dollars for medical, but there are reasons that it couldn't pay compensation directly.

Japan couldn't pay direct compensation? Can you explain this letter and money that was included? There is AWF controversy on the state's formal apology to the survivors. When the AWF delivered the first "atonement money" to four Filipina survivors in 1996, they also handed over letters of apology from both PM Hashimoto and the President of the AWF, Hara (member of J-goverment). Hashimoto's letter included phrases such as "apology and remorse" and "women's honor and dignity," but without any reference to the war of aggression or colonial domination.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Tell a lie long enough and people will believe it!

South Korea has a problem and it has nothing to do with what Japan did 100 years ago, it has to do what the Korean government hasn't done!

The South Korean government has been lying to it's people for so long that even when the facts are before the people they can't believe them. Korean's actually believe that Japan has never apologized or paid compensation. But, they have done both time and time again. But, their government continues to sidestep the facts even when they are forced to admit it.

It wasn't until the law suit of 2007 that the South Korean had to admit to the people that Japan had already apologized and paid compensation back in the 1965 treaty. And further, the government had to admit that it had not dispersed the compensation to the victims as it agreed to. Instead the government of President Park (the father) passed out the money to their friends to fatten the 1%'s pockets.

Now I ask, why hasn't the Korean government fully paid the compensation they agreed to pay back when they signed the treaty back in 1965? Answer is simple, it would cost too much!

What the government has paid is a pittance of the sum they have to. If they would truly live up to the treaty of 1965 they would go broke. So, instead of actually living up to the treaty that President Park (father) signed, President Park (daughter) plays games and tries to make Japan pay more compensation and have more apologies. Even knowing full well that Japan has already done both on many occasions!

President Park (daughter) knows full well that her nation doesn't have the legal grounds to force Japan to pay anything because President Park (father) signed the treaty and blew the compensation cash living it up with his friends. So, her government has to brainwashed the youth into living the life of victims. What I mean by her government doesn't refer to just HER government, it means the countless Korean administrations that have played the same game.

It is really sad seeing all these over dramatic stunts by a generation of brainwashed kids. It is really sad watching grown people weeping, cutting off body parts, beating and slaughtering innocent animals, burning flags, complaining and continuing to blame someone else because their nation isn't the greatest nation in the world.

More compensation and more apologize won't cure South Korea's Napoleon syndrome and it's Munchausen syndrome. The only cure for their woes is lots and lots of therapy and accepting the fact that their government needs to live up to the treaties they agreed to!

The only victim here is the truth and the facts associated with it!

Sad, really sad another generation of weeping false victims! Korea needs to wake up and take a hard cold look into the mirror!

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2005/01/17/2005011761025.html

sfjp330Feb. 19, 2015 - 06:56AM JST In 1995, Japan set up a fund to make payments to the women from private contributions.

The fund was started by the government and I'll give you why the government couldn't officially pay in a second.

The government paid nearly 10 million dollars for medical, but there are reasons that it couldn't pay compensation directly.

If you want a few links I can provide them to you, all you need to do is just ask.

sfjp330Feb. 19, 2015 - 06:56AM JST Why wasn't this payment made by offical Japanese goverment rather than private contributions? What were they scared of?

Simple, Japan has already paid compensation to the Asian nations for the victims of their past crimes. So, leagally they don't have to pay another red cent.

I won't bother to post the links right off because whenever I do folks turn a blind eye to them and continue to point fingers.

But, if you want the links I will gladly provide them.

Treaties are signed by nations and need to be enforced by those nations, but South Korea doesn't believe that it has to!

Sad!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

In 1995, Japan set up a fund to make payments to the women from private contributions. South Korea knows that this was not set up by the official Japanese goverment, so therefore doesn't mean much. Why wasn't this payment made by offical Japanese goverment rather than private contributions? What were they scared of?

The issue was settled in 1965 on an offcial capacity. This was also understood by the Korean counterpart.

"...Commenting on the comfort women issue on March 13, 1993, ROK President Kim Young-sam, who had been appointed in February, stated that “We do not plan to demand material compensation from the Government of Japan. Compensation will be undertaken using the budget of the ROK government from next year. Doing so will undoubtedly make it possible to pursue a new Japan-ROK relationship by claiming the moral high-ground.”

..."Subsequently, the Governments of Japan and the ROK repeatedly communicated on the specific measures to be taken for the former comfort women, but whatever specific measures the Government of Japan implemented, the problems concerning properties and claims between the two countries and their nationals, which includes the comfort women issue, had in legal terms already been settled completely and finally. Therefore, it was confirmed to the ROK side that Japan expected that no measures would be carried out to compensate individuals among the former comfort women in the ROK. The ROK side considered this issue to be dealt by the Japanese side on its own as part of its coming into terms with its post-war issues, and also responded that it would not request any material compensation from the Government of Japan and that it would not be involved in measures taken by the Japanese side..."

http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000042171.pdf

So much for moral high ground and living up to the agreement.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

nigelboyFeb. 19, 2015 - 01:34AM JST When Japan offered compensation through Asian Women's Fund in 1995, about 60 former Korean comfort women defied Chong Dae Hyup's order and accepted compensation. Those 60 women were vilified as traitors.

In 1995, Japan set up a fund to make payments to the women from private contributions. South Korea knows that this was not set up by the official Japanese goverment, so therefore doesn't mean much. Why wasn't this payment made by offical Japanese goverment rather than private contributions? What were they scared of?

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Roughneck is right. How many apologies, and how many times do they need compensation? It's been done over and over already. I guess the only way it will stop is when there are no more left.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Intersting read nigelboy. Thank you.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I feel terrible that these women had to endure such treatment and ruin of their lives being used as a sex slaves/comfort women but I believe that these women are being put up to this by anti-Japanese elements in the South Korean government. Modern day government of Japan has nothing to do or should have to apologize for the sins of their fathers/uncles or grandfathers. This would be like Holocaust survivors going to the Embassy of Germany in Tel Aviv, Israel and protesting their plight to a bunch of Germans who were probably born after the second world war and have no part in it as well.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Whatever the sympathy that Japanese people had with these comfort women issue has simply dissapeared as a result of this organization's (Chong Dae Hyup) unwilingness to put this issue to a rest by pressuring ex comfort women to refuse Japan's payments and their "coaching by Chong Dae Hyup to give false testimonies ."

http://scholarsinenglish.blogspot.com/

"...One of the women (Bae Chun-hee) told me she reminisced the romance she had with a Japanese soldier and the sorrow when he died in combat. She said she hated her father who sold her. She also told me that women there didn't appreciate being coached by Chong Dae Hyup to give false testimonies but had to obey Chong Dae Hyup's order. When Japan offered compensation through Asian Women's Fund in 1995, about 60 former Korean comfort women defied Chong Dae Hyup's order and accepted compensation. Those 60 women were vilified as traitors. Their names and addresses were published in newspapers as prostitutes by Chong Dae Hyup, and they had to live the rest of their lives in disgrace. So surviving women were terrified of Chong Dae Hyup and wouldn't dare to defy again. .."

2 ( +9 / -7 )

@tinawatanabe

Vince, You don't know how much Japanese are suffering from South Korea's bullyings. Please ask any Japanese

You want us to feel sympathy for the "suffering" of the Japanese at the hands of the Korean "bullies", and yet you have no sympathy or empathy whatsoever for the comfort women themselves. In fact your post mocks them. Pathetic.

I have spoken to many Japanese on the issue of comfort women - and heard a range of opinions - but none of them claimed to be suffering.

You don't know how much Japanese are suffering from South Korea's bullyings. Please ask any Japanese

Okay, Tina. I'm asking you, right now. Exactly how much are you suffering because of the bullying of these 80-year old former comfort women?

0 ( +6 / -6 )

@Peter Payne

How about the massacres of Cheju? Want to start putting that in your history books, Mrs. Park? No I didn't think you did.

The Jeju massacre is fully recognised by the Korean government, which has (belatedly) apologised on behalf of its predecessor. The Gwangju massacre, likewise; there is a national memorial to the dead.

Remember back in the 1970s, when Korea marketed itself as a sex tourism destination? Are you going to talk about that?

I have no idea if Korea did that in the 1970s or not, and I'm not going to try and verify it because even if true it's utterly irrelevant to sex-slavery in the 1940s.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

As for Japan antagonising their neighbours, that's their hobby nowadays.

Vince, You don't know how much Japanese are suffering from South Korea's bullyings. Please ask any Japanese.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

telling koreans to forget about it is like telling Jews too, but wait they have actual memorials to remind people for them

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Very disrespectfully done by South Korea to constantly mark their honor to the Sex slaves of World War2. Japan were an imperial state back in those days, it is time to move on with new and more aware peoples! Korea did become a free nation thanks to Japan´s invasion of Qing in 1894-1895! If the invasion had never occurred, then South Korea would have never become free nation. But that was the past, we all have to move on in our lives!:)

4 ( +8 / -4 )

jerseyboyFEB. 18, 2015 - 10:08PM JST Vince -- as opposed to Japan, including Abe, who further antagonizes SK and China with their paying respects at Yasukuni all the time -- right? Who exactly "is too bullheaded for their own good"?

I believe rallying in front of Japanese Embassy doesn't send a message. I believe Korea could express it in more articulate method. I feel sending the awareness globally is the first step like making a documentary. Basically what Japan does about Nuclear Bombing. The problem with comfort women issue is that it was swiftly swept under the rug, most people are apathetic about it. If more people gave a damn about it, Japan will probably give in due to pressure like that CP ban.

As for Japan antagonising their neighbours, that's their hobby nowadays. They could stop any time but apparently, they enjoy the reactions of both countries so much, Japan will probably set them off as long as they can afford. Now come on, by now everybody should know Japan likes to antagonise any countries that criticise Japanese customs by making up excuses and using confirmation bias. Everytime I see Korea getting offended at every little thing Japan does, it acknowledges itself as a country without backbones. I feel Korea always gets caught up by Japan's baiting. It's like a chess game where Japan seems to be always 2 steps ahead of Korea.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Remember back in the 1970s, when Korea marketed itself as a sex tourism destination? Are you going to talk about that? How about the massacres of Cheju? Want to start putting that in your history books, Mrs. Park? No I didn't think you did.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

1965 - Japan paid $800 million and gave a low-interest loan to Korea for war-time forced labor, injuries and deaths. 1992 - Official apology from the Japanese Government Spokesperson. 1992 - Official apology from the Japanese Prime Minister (twice). 1994 - Japan set up the Asian Women's Fund and paid 61 Korean who were sex slaves (as well as women in other countries) 5 million yen each, and a further 142 women refused compensation from Japan but accepted compensation from the Korean government. 1998 - Japanese courts award compensation of US$2,300 each to 3 comfort women who sued the Japanese government.

I count 3 apologies, 3 payments of compensation.

One has to ask the simple question, "What will satisfy these women?". The short answer is that no apology, no compensation can ever make up for what these women endured, but that equally Abe was about 11 years old when WW2 ended and wasn't personally involved.

The bottom line here is that the sex slaves issue isn't the problem at all. Korea and Japan have a much longer history, and this is just being used as a symbol for all the past problems. That's why no apology will ever be sufficient, because it isn't really what the Korean people are angry about.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Why apologize again when u have already done so several times throughout decades? Reparations? Already done so. The comfort women issue should solely be an korean government matters now, not Japan. The worse is the Korean government, who received the reparations on behalf of the victims but kept it for themselves. They accepted the apology and reparations but not the responibility thereforth. The korean victjms should demand it from their own government.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Why do they bother? Is Korea so desperate to further antagonise Japan? Why are they asking for impossible when PM Abe is on the seat who makes no qualm about being an ultra-nationalist any more? But I forgot Korea is too bullheaded for their own good.

Vince -- as opposed to Japan, including Abe, who further antagonizes SK and China with their paying respects at Yasukuni all the time -- right? Who exactly "is too bullheaded for their own good"?

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I just read from the link posted above and gained some insight into this matter: http://scholarsinenglish.blogspot.jp/2014/10/summary-of-professor-park-yuhas-book.html

2 ( +3 / -1 )

They don't do it to irritate the government or people of Japan, they do it to have wrongs righted.

Rubbish. They just want to keep finger pointing... and they always will, long after these old ladies are long gone. Why? Because they don't like to see a country defeated in a war doing well, or being respected in the grown up world. It's the same as the grudges its neighbours bore against Germany, rising above the winners to become the biggest economy in Europe.

Bad winners.

1 ( +13 / -12 )

Will we ever see memorials from koreans for the patriotic women that sold themselves to satisfy American military personnel?

Korean women "forced" into prostitution by the evil Japanese Empire = bad Korean women that chose prostitution in camptowns = degenerates with no self-esteem

I do not dispute Japanese military involvement with prostitution during WWII. I also do not doubt Korean complicity in whoring out their women to the US military (they were actively involved). Koreans should be honest about their own actions before criticizing Japan, who by the way, HAS paid reparations. The WWII Korean prostitutes did not see any of that money because the SK government used it to boost what was at the time a pitiful economy (lesser GDP than NK until 1976).

10 ( +14 / -4 )

The Korean banner use uianbu "comfort women", rather than seong no ye "sex slaves" promoted by western press.

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

I once read a history article about memory: the gist was that it takes three generations to be able to move on properly.

Generation 1: has first hand memory or was participant in the period or event

Generation 2: born after period or event but hears first hand accounts from Generation 1

Generation 3: born well after Generation 1 has passed away but hears accounts of stories from Generation 2

It is only after Generation 3 has passed away that and the period or event becomes properly past history, that the culture can move on.

According to this theory, on the Comfort Women issue, I would say we are in Generation 2 moving into Generation 3. So, maybe about another 30 years.

Still it is about people from Korea, so this 3-generation memory theory could be quite wrong. But certainly the issue never goes away.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

In Korea, anyone who claims comfortable women are prostitutes, will be a target of a threat. There is no freedom of speach in Korea.

Korean brave female professor 朴 裕河 Park Yu-ha, author of "Comfort Women of the Empire" 帝国の慰安婦, who claims comfort women were prostitues in her book. http://scholarsinenglish.blogspot.jp/2014/10/summary-of-professor-park-yuhas-book.html

Today Korean court ruling says she is in charge of defamation of comfort women. This is virtually same as banning her book in Korea. and now she is getting death threat from public.!!!! http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150218-00000010-xinhua-cn

Please!! Please save her!! Media world wide should focus on this issue!!

Her facebook account https://www.facebook.com/notes/705074766186107

Also note that in past, how other korean professors in Seoul University who ever said Comfort women were prostetutes ended up with beaten up by Korean authority and public.

李栄薫(イ・ヨンフン、Lee Yong-hoon) professor 安秉直(アン・ビョンジク An Byeong-jik)professor

https://www.google.co.jp/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=&oq=Lee+Yong-hoon+comfort+woman&hl=ja&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SNJB_ja___JP480&q=Lee+Yong-hoon+comfort+woman&gs_l=hp....0.0.0.5389...........0.CC5g9t5lMVc

This is the terrible consequence of Prof An Byeong-jik http://kwout.com/cutout/7/t9/xe/hrw_bor.jpg

0 ( +12 / -12 )

vincewhr: " they must know they wouldn't get a formal heartfelt apology from the current Japanese administration. Why do they bother?"

It's exactly BECAUSE they haven't gotten a formal apology that they 'bother'. And to let the world know the truth and keep holding up the torch while men like Abe and other right-wingers here try to cover that truth up and promote, both in Japan and abroad, revisionist history.

"Is Korea so desperate to further antagonise Japan?"

Seriously? That's be like asking "Are the Yokotas so desperate to antagonize North Korea" every time the abduction issue comes up. If the truth antagonizes Japan that is Japan's problem, not the former sex slaves'. They don't do it to irritate the government or people of Japan, they do it to have wrongs righted.

Thunderbird2: "Ah the weekly protest... Well done... Next!"

You better come on here and say the same thing next time the families of abductees bring up the issue! Or wait... is that 'different'?

0 ( +14 / -14 )

Don't worry. According to Abe's brand new school textbooks, it's all just a figment of these old ladies' imaginations.

They made it all up to make Japan look bad, isn't how the explanation goes?

2 ( +11 / -9 )

Ah the weekly protest... Well done... Next!

-8 ( +9 / -17 )

How many times they need compensation? How many apologies?

-2 ( +16 / -18 )

Abe (fingers in ears): "lalalalalala.... never happened.... lalalalalala.... never happened"

Surprised the JP media is allowed to cover this without the government slapping wrists.

1 ( +12 / -11 )

I don't think these people have much of a legal leg to stand on. Under the "Normalization of Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea" back in the 1960s, "problems in regard to property and claims between Japan and Korea have been settled completely and finally". Now, I know that many South Koreans aren't happy with this, but instead of whining about Japan they should look at the legacy of the military dictatorships that signed off on the deal. Before point fingers they need to accept their own duplicity as a society in selling these women down the river.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

Abe wouldn't apologize, won't apologize, you could hold him hostage for years and he wouldn't apologize. He believes in every fiber of his being Japan did nothing wrong, and he's surrounded by die hard nationalists. He'll apologize for the sex slaves as soon as he apologizes for Pearl Harbor or invading China.

It took years for the US to give reparations to the Indians, Greece now wants reparations from Berlin for World War II, that's not going to happen. Britain is pointlessly fighting pardons for those convicted for essentially being gay.

Everyone seeking justice should keep fighting, but when it comes to Japan, you'll need a massive cultural shift amongst the Japanese people for any hope of an apology. Most people still think Japan didn't achieve their goals more so than feelings of we were wrong and we lost a war.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

As understandable as South Korea's situation is, they must know they wouldn't get a formal heartfelt apology from the current Japanese administration. Why do they bother? Is Korea so desperate to further antagonise Japan? Why are they asking for impossible when PM Abe is on the seat who makes no qualm about being an ultra-nationalist any more? But I forgot Korea is too bullheaded for their own good.

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

I wonder how much the compensation would amount to if the government decides to pay up? Regardless, compensation claims will continue long, long after the survivors have died off

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

harvey: "This story goes no where."

Agreed, and until the Japanese government FORMALLY apologizes -- and no one dares try and rescind it or 'make it friendlier and more patriotic' like Abe does (and denies anyone was coerced or forced) -- it will continue to go nowhere.

It should be Abe and the denialists down on their knees, bowing. Instead of the government praising nazi and Apartheid systems, they should look to how the Germans have made honest amends and all have moved on in harmony. Won't happen here, though, with people actually saying "Japan gave the women jobs!" "Japan helped govern and stabilize Asia!", etc. as though they did nothing wrong whatsoever while waiting for the victims to die off.

3 ( +25 / -22 )

What more can be said of this back and forth between Japan and Korea? Nothing. This story goes no where.

-4 ( +18 / -22 )

college students. perhaps?!

the south koreans are hopelessly stuck in the past. why don't these old women demand compensation from their own government because they are forced to come out every day for this charade.

-3 ( +21 / -24 )

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