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S Korea's incoming foreign minister calls 2015 'comfort women' pact official

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"The agreement on 'comfort women' is an official one, and the current Moon Jae In administration also acknowledges it. The most important part is joint efforts from South Korea and Japan to recover the honor and dignity of the victims," Park told reporters."

Well this is an unexpectd turn of events, and if true, shows that the incoming Yoon administration is serious about undoing all the massive harm that the previous Moon administration caused. But I'll wait to hear if and when the money Japan paid in 2015 actually gets to the hands of the surviving CWs. It jives with the difference between Moon;s appease and hiug NKorea and establish Japan as the enemy, to Yoon's realistic view that SKorea's security rests wih the US-JPN-SK strategic alliance.

The statement that "the current Moon administration recognizes the 2015 Agreement as official" is puzzling since it was Moon who ripped up the agreement, which, until that point in time was official.

13 ( +19 / -6 )

Time to act, no more to talk. It's already overdue, though...

8 ( +8 / -0 )

I would like to think this is a good first step to improve the relationship between both countries, independently of who is in the government, but I also keep worrying why is the incoming South Korean government so interested in Japan's support.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Some observations.

1) Park Jin may not be confirmed by the Parliament. His nomination is opposed by the Democratic party with supermajority, although they do have bigger horses to slay than him. The democratic party has three names on their "Must kill" list and Park's name isn't on it, but he's not safe due to a scandal involving his son, an Internet casino founder. So the situation is fluid.

2) Comfort women themselves have already rejected the deal.

3) The fund is already in the escrow account addressed to Japanese government.

4) In 5 years, the Democratic party back in power will once again tear up the agreement.

-25 ( +0 / -25 )

@OssanJapan

But I'll wait to hear if and when the money Japan paid in 2015 actually gets to the hands of the surviving CWs. 

1) Comfort women themselves already rejected the deal.

2) The money is in an escrow account addressed to Japanese government. Only the Japanese government can withdraw it.

-24 ( +1 / -25 )

A "deal" that has constantly flipped flopped between income and outgoing SK administrations.

The current Moon Jae In administration has little respect for Treaty-International Law, when attempting to manoeuvre his poisonous personal loathing of J Government and people.

Look by all mean do the diplomacy.

But where is the trust?

12 ( +16 / -4 )

@itsonlyrocknroll

Moon Jae In administration has little respect for Treaty-International Law

The comfort women agreement isn't a treaty; if it was, it would have never been approved by the Korean parliament.

The final approver of the comfort women agreement are comfort women themselves.

Moon rejected the deal because of his personal dislike for it, but because comfort women themselves immediately rejected it at the time of its announcement, which unfortunately wasn't reported by Japanese press. Park decided to not act on comfort women's rejection of the deal, but Moon had to carry out comfort women's rejection.

So the comfort women dispute isn't over until Japan and Korea craft an agreement that can be approved by comfort women, not Prime Minister/President or parliaments of both countries.

So what are comfort women demanding? An agreement where Japanese government admits that the Imperial Japanese military ordered their forced conscription hence the Japanese state is responsible for their sufferings.

-19 ( +2 / -21 )

Yes, Samit Basu, the Abe agreement is a deal, so rejected Moon Jae In administration when in office.

Treaty Law Jurisdiction is a matter for the ICJ. Not either the South Korean or Japan domestic judiary.

This is only half the histrionics.

2005, the Korean government declassified over 1,200 pages of diplomatic documents that recorded the minutes and proceeding of the treaty negotiations.

The then Japanese government clearly proposed to the Korean government a monetary methodology to fully compensate individual victims

However the Korean government insisted that it would handle individual compensation to its citizens from a lump sum received of grants on behalf of the victims.

A total of 364 million dollars in compensation for the 1.03 million Koreans conscripted into the workforce and the military during the period of colonial rule.

Now the SK government never compensated these victims.

However, I suspect the comfort women plight is arguably not fully recognised until 1990.

Wish brings us back to the deal. In question

14 ( +14 / -0 )

So what are comfort women demanding? An agreement where Japanese government admits that the Imperial Japanese military ordered their forced conscription hence the Japanese state is responsible for their sufferings.

There's neither such historical truth nor any kind of proofs whatsoever to prove it. Too many inconvenient truths showed up already and hence these fraud show directors edit scripts such as IJA ordered forced conscription.

So the comfort women dispute isn't over until Japan and Korea craft an agreement that can be approved by comfort women, not Prime Minister/President or parliaments of both countries.

CW is under jurisdiction of Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of South Korean, which conducts official registration of so called CW victims. There, official definition of CW victim is clearly stipulated as who were forcefully taken, abducted by IJA. In this very sense, NONE of those who have been making noise with/under Chong Dae Hyup can be defined as CW victims in South Korea.

In addition, the Ministry registered all of those so called victims without proper fact-checking of each experience. Absolutely No Fact checking process whatsoever, meaning if anyone raise their hands, they could register themselves as victims. South Korean Justice has not gone through any kind of fact-checking process either.

Thanks to the brave efforts by some SK academia, In South Korea, including government officials, more and more people have finally realized this has been such a big fraud show which has been fooling not only South Korea itself but also entire world for 30 years. That is why SK govt. is pressured to end the issue finally and completely (ironically as stated in 2015 agreement already) before it gets too late not to lose big face.

Look at what's happening these days in front of Japanese embassy every Wednesday. There's always Anti-CW fraud demonstration. Deal with the issue domestically. There's no such coordination efforts any longer for Japan to make any further especially for these disgusting fraud groups.

Comfort women themselves rejected the agreement? Who are they? they are just Lee Yong soo and the puppets completely controlled by Chong Dae Hyup

5 ( +13 / -8 )

One wonders how this may or may not affect recent court decisions to seize the property of Japanese corporations in South Korea?

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Time is not on the side of the comfort woman. Frail pensioners.

There is a deal on the table, the vulgarity present in the deal sentiment.

There dignity reduced to the terminology associated with the purchase of a second hand car.

Tweak the deal, compromise and get it done.

Leave the recriminations to a Royal Commission/historians.

Just keep this ghastly spectacle away from politicians

13 ( +13 / -0 )

@kennyG

There's neither such historical truth nor any kind of proofs whatsoever to prove it. 

Yes there are Imperial Japanese Army documents that China tried to list at UNESCO Memories of The World that prove IJA treated comfort women as military supplies, that Japan went all out to block it.

@Desert Tortoise

One wonders how this may or may not affect recent court decisions to seize the property of Japanese corporations in South Korea?

That's beyond the control of Yoon. The Supreme Court ruled Japanese corporations are not protected by the 1965 Treaty which excluded the word damages from its text, and are exposed to damages claims by forced laborers, so Yoon has no say in legal proceedings as Korea has a clear separation of powers unlike Japan.

The court did set a claims filing deadline so no new claims can be made after this deadline, so the total damages that Japanese corporations are exposed is $20 million max. Some Japanese corporations told the court they wanted to settle(settlement is far cheaper than dragging cases along for years in legal cost) but was prevented from doing so by the Japanese government.

-9 ( +7 / -16 )

It'd be nice if both countries could come up and say they'd put their difference to the side and start working together as the only two free countries and allies they are in this region. Sadly they both like to whitewash their history and both like to play victim.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

@Garthgolye

the only two free countries and allies they are in this region

Koreans don't consider Japan to be a free country, rather an one-party ruled oligarchy like Russia.

The only two free countries in the region according to Koreans are Korea and Taiwan.

Beside, an improvement in relations is not possible because Japan is demanding that Yoon somehow drop all forced laborer cases as the precondition of improving relations, which is beyond Yoon's ability.

-16 ( +4 / -20 )

@Sammy Batsu

4) In 5 years, the Democratic party back in power will once again tear up the agreement.

That's a good point you made and quite possible. If this were to happen, tho, it would send a very strong message (for real this time) that South Korea could never be trusted.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

I sometimes wonder how Old Japanese men can sleep at night knowing what they did.

Modern generation have no responsibility. Move on.

-6 ( +7 / -13 )

SK right-wing same as LDP supported by US and more poignantly they were restored to power a la Japanese war criminals by the US in the post war era...and prior to and during the war they were employed by the Japanese government.

Hence the abrupt about face.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Wait until their support rating drops, then history repeats.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

@Samit BasuToday  09:42 am JST

@kennyG

There's neither such historical truth nor any kind of proofs whatsoever to prove it. 

Yes there are Imperial Japanese Army documents that China tried to list at UNESCO Memories of The World that prove IJA treated comfort women as military supplies, that Japan went all out to block it.

Like Korean CW during/after Korean War serving US/UN troops were treated and called the 5th supply?

No. There're documents and testimonies..etc that IJA ordered CW stations to be established, and CW to be recruited and special arrangements to be made for them to come the stations quickly, all of those are not secrets at all. There are no documents proving such orders for forced conscription.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

That's beyond the control of Yoon. The Supreme Court ruled Japanese corporations are not protected by the 1965 Treaty which excluded the word damages from its text, and are exposed to damages claims by forced laborers, so Yoon has no say in legal proceedings as Korea has a clear separation of powers unlike Japan.

The court did set a claims filing deadline so no new claims can be made after this deadline, so the total damages that Japanese corporations are exposed is $20 million max. Some Japanese corporations told the court they wanted to settle(settlement is far cheaper than dragging cases along for years in legal cost) but was prevented from doing so by the Japanese government.

Whatever damage is covered by 1965 treaty, not to mention that the same damage as Japanese labors suffered those days. Your supreme court is only sticking to the cavil that damage suffered as a result of illegal occupation/mobilization of foreign citizen by Imperial Japan

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Why is there so much furor over the Korean 'comfort women' and we NEVER hear about the many Japanese women who were also taken by the psychopathic Generals and abused in the same way, forced to work in military brothels, as the Korean women? There seems little information available regarding the Nihonjin victims but an excellent introduction may be found in the book:

"Sandakan Brothel No.8: Journey into the History of Lower-class Japanese Women"

by Tomoko Yamazaki and Karen F. Colligan-Taylor (Translator)

The shame that the rightwing in Japan is trying to deny and hide vis-à-vis the Korean victims has been almost successfully hidden regarding the Nihonjin victims of this otherwise unimaginable policy. And if you choose to read this account, do not expect to leave it without deep emotional disturbance.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

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