S Korean sex slave survivor wants U.N. court judgment

Someone needs to tell this poor woman that the people around her are the ones who took her compensation money.

I’m sure the ‘people around her’ are the also ones encouraging her & pushing her into the media spotlight

This is truly a heart breaking story! Dealing with a stubbornly hostile neighbour might take generations of struggles and tears! We hope a good luck on the Korean families who suffered under the Japanese! Keep that spirit of defiance, the Japan under rightist like Shinzo Abe were under that diplomatic pressure and they were embarrassing with sweats!

Most of these women are use as political tools for the SK government for decades. Is defnitely a good move to just move this case to the UN court. I don't think our government would have a issue with this if this will settle things once and for all. Before time run out for all of these women.

South Korean activists should let her live out her days in peace and stop using her.

It’s unclear if Seoul would ever consider referring the matter to the U.N. court, where it has never fought any case and when anything less than a lopsided victory might be seen at home as a defeat.

But Lee said it has become clear the issue cannot be resolved through bilateral diplomatic talks or rulings by South Korea’s domestic courts that have been repeatedly rejected by the Japanese government.

It's up to the South Korean side. Japan will agree to go to the ICJ.

Please don't make another deal behind the door with the lame duck President Moon. Whatever attained South Korea would breach it again and try to start over under the new president after Moon (who may get a treason charge). A never ending story.

What kind of apology do they need? Written? Verbal? 90 degree bow from the leader and the whole nation?

Korean dramas are very popular but cheesy. This topic is also very popular and it's also cheesy. So all they are doing is a cheesy drama.

This topic is probably the only one that most commentators here becomes positively unity that makes me glad, otherwise when there is a news about Tokyo ranks No. 1 metropolitan city in the world or Kyoto is the No. 1 visit in the world, most people are against it.

Imagine it was your mother or grandmother forced into sex slavery for enemy soldiers. You think they treated them with respect and dignity?

Could you just “forget” that?

The victims deserve a proper apology.

I am neither Korean nor Japanese and although I am a Permanent Resident here it is tiresome to see this issue continuously brought up in various ways. The idea of seizing assets of Japanese companies operating in Korea over this issue is incorrect and wrong.

On the other hand it seems in this case an apology is being asked for. Given the fact that an apology alone is subjective the best thing that could be done is to ensure such an apology meets all criteria in Paragraph 22, items (a) through (h) of the following document (UN: Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law) which is stated below as well. I do not know whether or not Japan has met all criteria.

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/RemedyAndReparation.aspx

22. Satisfaction should include, where applicable, any or all of the following:

(a) Effective measures aimed at the cessation of continuing violations;

(b) Verification of the facts and full and public disclosure of the truth to the extent that such disclosure does not cause further harm or threaten the safety and interests of the victim, the victim’s relatives, witnesses, or persons who have intervened to assist the victim or prevent the occurrence of further violations;

(c) The search for the whereabouts of the disappeared, for the identities of the children abducted, and for the bodies of those killed, and assistance in the recovery, identification and reburial of the bodies in accordance with the expressed or presumed wish of the victims, or the cultural practices of the families and communities;

(d) An official declaration or a judicial decision restoring the dignity, the reputation and the rights of the victim and of persons closely connected with the victim;

(e) Public apology, including acknowledgement of the facts and acceptance of responsibility;

(f) Judicial and administrative sanctions against persons liable for the violations;

(g) Commemorations and tributes to the victims;

(h) Inclusion of an accurate account of the violations that occurred in international human rights law and international humanitarian law training and in educational material at all levels.

She is simply a propaganda tool used by the corrupt SK govt to try and bully Japan. Enough is enough! This issue has been settled irrevocably and forever. It will be laughed out of of the UN, as just about all nations are on Japans side and realize these claims are simply lies and propaganda.

The Moon govt had better stop this anti-Japan bullying, or expect big sanctions. No wonder the US has decided SK is never welcome in QUAD, while trusted nations like Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam will be soon.

@Simian Lane

The second world war, Hitler and do, are firmly in the past now

Not in Germany, which is still prosecuting Nazi war criminals in 2021.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/95-year-old-former-secretary-nazi-concentration-camp-indicted-germany-180976947/

95-Year-Old Nazi Camp Secretary Charged as Accessory in 10,000 Murders

The woman, identified as Irmgard F., claims she didn’t know about the mass murders taking place at Stutthof

FEBRUARY 9, 2021

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/europe/nazi-camp-guard-grm-intl-scli/index.html

100-year-old former Nazi concentration camp guard charged with Holocaust atrocities

By Claudia Otto and Amy Woodyatt, CNN

Updated 9:43 AM ET, Wed February 10, 2021

.

most have managed to move in but not forget,

Well, most Japanese have certainly forgotten about Imperial Japan's wartime atrocities.

@BackpackingNepalToday

What kind of apology do they need? 

An apology where either Aso or the Emperor come in person, vow before comfort women, and ask for their forgiveness.

I'd bet the SK gov't doesn't want to do that. It probably wouldn't go so well for them as they've thrown out numerous agreements between Japan in themselves settling the issue.

@Samit

As you can see in my post above I believe Japan should ensure an apology meeting the criteria set forth by the Human Rights Committe is provided, BUT

From an article in the Huffington Post

As part of the latest “apology,” Japan pledged 1 billion yen ($8.3M) for the creation of a South Korean foundation to support the surviving South Korean victims with medical, nursing, and other support services. South Korea, in turn, pledged to “irreversibly” drop its demand for reparation, end all criticism of Japan on the issue, and remove a memorial constructed by Korean “comfort women” survivors in 2011 in front of Japan’s embassy in Seoul.

As a non Korean and non Japanese I see both sides of the issue. South Korea did in fact agree to end this forever in 2011 but they are not keeping their promise to do so.

In the end I feel most sorry for the victims who seem to be pawns in all of this. The term "comfort women" is much too "nice" of a term for what was done to them. Those women were brutally raped and it must be awful for the women...the real victims...to have had to live with this for so long.

They’ll keep fanning these flames for another 1000 years, as this gives politicians more power.

Dear Ms. Lee Yong-soo,

Your frustration is pointed at the wrong country.

In Japan we want you to be paid, to receive the compensation your own S. Korean government should have paid in 1965. We gave your government the funds/compensation, 3 Billion in today's money, they said we will pay the victims ourselves. They never did!

In 1995 Japan tried again to pay comfort women, make up for past mistakes.

In 2015 Japan and S. Korea signed Comfort Woman Deal as Final and Irreversible! Millions paid in compensation, over 70% of Comfort women supported the Deal! Only a few, in the minority of comfort women said No!

In a democracy, if 70% of comfort women voted for a deal, that would be the end of that. They did in 2015. Korean doesn't want to stop this issue!

We tried compensation and we tried apologies over 50 so far. Japanese prime Minister after prime Minister have apologies for the past. The Emperor himself has apologies, several times. Never enough.

Ms Lee Yong-soo, if you care about future Japan-S. Korea relations stop letting your government use you as an anti-Japan tool.

Only South Korea do such a thing in the world.

RoccoLToday  07:38 am JST

The victims deserve a proper apology.

You're right. And they have gotten it numerous times along with money as requested. But the South Korean government has been and continues to play the game of rejecting the apology claiming "it's not sincere" while keeping they money and not giving it to the surviving Comfort Women. The 2015 Agreement that both sides declared "Permanent and Irreversible" and included an apology from then PM Shionzo Abe was promptly ripped up by Moon, and the money paid by Japan has again, been neither given to the Comfort Women nor returned to Japan. This poor survivor is still being used as a tool by the organizations like Chong Dae-Hyup who have made the CW issue a business.

If South Korea wants to bring the CW to the UN, they need to first sign an agreement accepting ICJ jurisdiction and recogning ICJ rulings because The International Court of Justice, which has its seat in The Hague, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

They need to accomomdate Japan;'s requests for ICJ settlement over the Liancourt Rocks, which South Korea has refused 3 times. And they need to settle the interpretation of the 1965 Treaty as it covers payments by Japan to individuals who suffered, but South Korea refuses to abide by the Arbitration Clause.

South Korea is attemting to have it both ways. This is a pattern for this pathetic country as seen by their demanding protection from North Korea by the US but simultaneously working against US interests by continuous hiostility towards Japan. South Korea claims to be a US ally but refuses to participate in FON exercises to confront China.

“The survivors aren’t asking for money from the Japanese government, but instead want an apology and acknowledgment of responsibility over the past action and to provide proper history education (for its public),” Shin said, saying such goals would be unattainable through domestic court rulings.

Excuse me. We’re not falling for that.

Simply put: they want Japan to drop on its knees; Sorry to say, but that’s never going to happen.

Shame on South Korea for holding these people “hostages” with their brainwashing propaganda and using their pain and suffering for political purposes.

We’re not asking to forget (but), it’s time to move on.

If only South Korea had distributed all that phat cash to victims instead of blowing it on the 1988 Olympics preps.

What seems to be lost in all of this is what happened to the victims. I cannot imagine what they have been through.

What a thing to be fighting for at 92 years old. It’s awful she could never move on. The second world war, Hitler and do, are firmly in the past now, most have managed to move in but not forget, and Korea is seen by most now as just abusing its current relationship with Japan.

I hope nothing like that ever happens to you or someone in your family. Nobody ever forgets the horrors experienced in war and just "moves on". Even the most battle hardened veterans suffer for the rest of their lives. What a perfectly awful thing to write.

Getting this in front of the ICJ is the best thing that could happen for both Japan and for South Korea. The ICJ can settle the matter with finality as long as both parties agree to abide by their judgement. I suspect the Japanese surely would.

Tokyo

If you care about the victims sincerely you would advise them to complain towards the Moon administration to receive the compensation paid multiple times by Japan!

The only country who doesn't care about comfort women is South Korea! The Moon administration!

It's 75 years ago, as if she even remembers. What did she even need the compensation for now anyway?

South Koreans are stuck in the past because they've been indoctrinated into hating Japan and victimizing themselves. They are the only people who will set themselves on fire at protests, refuse to refuel Japanese cars, harass a US diplomat for having a moustache similar to a Japanese general's, and try to put stickers in classrooms saying “This device was made by a war criminal”. They threatened to pull out of GSOMIA, putting millions of lives at risk of nuclear war, then lied about consulting the US. When I was a child, my own parents and grandparents constantly reminded me what Japan did as if they happened yesterday.

South Korea needs to look at itself instead of constantly victimizing itself and blaming things that happened seventy years ago.

If the issue is referred to the International Court of Justice, South Korea would likely raise whether Japan’s “comfort women” system of military sexual slavery was in violation of international law in force at that time

Many people may not realise that under the Geneva Conventions it's legal for an occupying army to compel the civilian population to engage in certain types of forced labour.

If this case had been heard in 1945, there's no question that it would have been considered a violation of the GC, because performing grossly immoral services at a brothel would never be considered legitimate work which an occupying power could demand from the civilian population.

In 2021 however, the situation is murkier. Social attitudes have changed significantly. Prostitution is no longer illegal in many countries. We are now encouraged to view sex workers as legitimate participants in the labour force and sex work as a type of essential health service rather than an immoral indulgence. If you can compel a civilian to become a nurse, why not a sex worker? It's one of the unintended consequences of normalising sex work.

@M3M3M3

under the Geneva Conventions it's legal for an occupying army to compel the civilian population to engage in certain types of forced labour.

Sexual slavery is not legal under the Geneva Convention from the day it was signed.

performing grossly immoral services at a brothel would never be considered legitimate work

You are a very confused person.

Quote: Prosecutors are now investigating allegations that the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan failed to help the victims and used the funds instead for private gain.

The investigation is proving uncomfortable for South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in, after claims emerged that the council’s former head Yoon Mee-hyang, who represents Moon’s party, embezzled some of the funds to buy property and to pay for her daughter’s education in the US.

Thats what happened to the comfort women funds! Used by the greedy Korean government!

@Samit Basu

Sexual slavery is not legal under the Geneva Convention from the day it was signed.

The Geneva Conventions are not a single document. The 3rd Geneva Convention, in force during WW2, does not address the issue of sexual slavery. The 4th GC does, but it was only adopted in 1950. It's not applicable to this conflict.

The people who committed the war crimes are all dead. No point in blaming their grandchildren.

P. Smith

With that logic.

Any deal we sign with the Korean is OFF if the Korean says so.

Any politician who visit the Shrine deal off.

Any important person in Japan visit shrine Deal off.

Anything that bothers Half of S. Korea Deal OFF Japan! We are offended, We are bothered!

Yeah, don't think so P.

Do majority of Koreans agree to anti-Japan moves? I heard that President Biden scolded Korean government for their impetuous anti-Japan attitude. It is hurting the unity of the free world.

P. Smith

With that mind set.

You give South Korean government a full and complete pass. While blaming Japan 100%.

Any politician who visits the Shrine. Deal OFF not sincere.

Any problem that bothers Korea in the future, deal off from 2015. Deal off from 1965.

Robert

Have you seen the anti-Japan protest in South Korea?

Full of young Koreans, full of energy! Burning Japanese flags, destroying Japanese products. Those are young people!

In fact, if Japanese TV showed the reality of the anti-Japan movement in S. Korea, more Japanese would understand the situation and problem we have with this country.

Can't speak for majority, but the situation there is definitely not as it's presented in Japanese TV. Young people don't really bash Japan there

Actually, incorrect. Younger Koreans are the ones who despise Japan most. They are fierce, rabid brainwashed nationalists. ( Im sure there are a handful of good ones among the youth). Its down to how they grow up, hating Japanese, as directed by their govt. in schools.

The few voices of reason in SK are among the older generation.

@vanityofvanities

Do majority of Koreans agree to anti-Japan moves? I heard that President Biden scolded Korean government for their impetuous anti-Japan attitude. It is hurting the unity of the free world.

I was born and raised Korean. I grew up with my parents and grandparents constantly reminding me of what Japan did seventry years ago. My classmates spit on me for wanting to study in Japan. During the trade dispute, young Koreans flooded the streets demanding the boycott of Japanese goods, gas stations refused to refuel Japanese cars, and several men were arrested for breaking into the Japanese embassy. A district tried to pass a law mandating that devices in classrooms have a sticker on them that says "This device was made by a war criminal". My friend who is a teacher in Korea told me about a sixth-grader who said that all Japanese are evil.

Koreans constantly victimize themselves and rave about Japan hating them when they're the ones indoctrinating their children to hate. The hypocrisy and self-righteousness make me ashamed to be Korean.

@ Coffee - thanks for sharing your story. Its lucky you escaped. I hope you never have to go back. Its extremely dangerous for Japanese or their partners to visit SK. One of my Canadian buddies and his Japanese GF were spat on in the streets of Seoul by Korean youths. Just pure hatred on display.

Always had a great time in South Korea. Many of my Japanese coworkers visit there on business and speak very highly of it. I suppose the majority of businesspeople have more important things on the mind than pettiness and childishness. That’s what I’ve come across in my dealings with Korea.

A really fine country. How it dealt with Covid saw deserved recognition worldwide. Bravo, Korea. Bravo.

@Robert Cikki

Can't speak for majority, but the situation there is definitely not as it's presented in Japanese TV. Young people don't really bash Japan there, no one raises eyebrow if they hear Japanese and Korean TV is way more critical towards their government, unlike our Japanese TV with it's self-censorship.

A survey found that South Koreans view Abe more negatively than Kim Jong Un, a dictator who imprisons entire families, gives death sentences to his own officers, and executes people in public.

Another survey found that almost half of South Koreans would side with North Korea in a war against Japan, while 40% said "I don't know".

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/11/08/national/politics-diplomacy/nearly-half-south-koreans-back-north-vs-japan/

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/03/17/national/politics-diplomacy/kim-jong-un-proves-popular-abe-south-korea-survey-finds/

I had relatives tell me they prostitution themselves for survival during WWII. They were not proud of it but they had to feed their families. We totally respected their decisions.

@P. Smith

Japan indoctrinates its children to view Japan as the victim in WWII.

At least they don't use it as an excuse to hound the U.S. for money every year.

@Samit Basu

Even if Aso or the Japanese government apologised or even paid compensation to China and Korea, its meaningless. Because they would immediately after go back to worshiping war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni and inundating Japanese youth with propaganda and their own historical narratives through education and government affiliated media. Ultimately this will harm future generations of Japanese.

what the heck is wrong with koreans.... it has already been more then half centuries and japan has already apologized and offered money. May be its some tricks to show japan bad in worlds eye

So their demands :

“The survivors aren’t asking for money from the Japanese government, but instead want an apology and acknowledgment of responsibility over the past action and to provide proper history education (for its public),”

just match that :

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/RemedyAndReparation.aspx

22. Satisfaction should include, where applicable, any or all of the following:

(a) Effective measures aimed at the cessation of continuing violations;

(b) Verification of the facts and full and public disclosure of the truth to the extent that such disclosure does not cause further harm or threaten the safety and interests of the victim, the victim’s relatives, witnesses, or persons who have intervened to assist the victim or prevent the occurrence of further violations;

(c) The search for the whereabouts of the disappeared, for the identities of the children abducted, and for the bodies of those killed, and assistance in the recovery, identification and reburial of the bodies in accordance with the expressed or presumed wish of the victims, or the cultural practices of the families and communities;

(d) An official declaration or a judicial decision restoring the dignity, the reputation and the rights of the victim and of persons closely connected with the victim;

(e) Public apology, including acknowledgement of the facts and acceptance of responsibility;

(f) Judicial and administrative sanctions against persons liable for the violations;

(g) Commemorations and tributes to the victims;

(h) Inclusion of an accurate account of the violations that occurred in international human rights law and international humanitarian law training and in educational material at all levels.

But everyone here is just talking about money.

Can't just Japan actively looks at its history to find, publicly name, sanction and charge the people responsible for the sexual slavery implantation rules and had it as part of history curriculum ?

In the mean time instead of complaining each time a memorial is built, can't they take part in founding of some and have official attend them even give proper speech about the importance of remind ourselves of our wrong to never let them happen again ?

For the present and future, can't they join international effort against sex crimes during wartime ? And also fight against sexual slavery ? And women rights ?

Stuff around these lines should be more efficient in improving the situation with the former IJA sex slaves that complaining non stop when a statue is put on display on whatever places.

Even japan got atom bombed twice....but i have never heard japanese government or people going against america....instead they moved and built a country that is perfect... and not forgetting the past they always consult for nuclear ban treaty. The korean should also do so instead to protesting about 70 years old things they should move on and help other countries which are still being victim of sexual abuse.

Lets put a statue in front of Korean embassy of people receiving money!!! so they dont forget that dues have already been paid, many times over!!

Why people here and there in the world are being swayed by this Lee Yong Soo who's been kept lying in front of UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy, US House Committee, San Francisco City Council, South Korean central district court. Her constantly changing false testimonies are crimes considering the publicness of the occasions, and impacts on what international society ended up forming the false consensus.

And there's no reason mods of JT erase my post without mentioning any reason unless JT itself trying to hide inconvenient truths. Lee Yong Soo is just a accomplice with Chong Dae Hyup which coached all those women to testify as it wants. Lee Yong Soo herself admitted "I just spoke as they told me to say so" and complained " But Chong Dae Hyup doesn't protect me when people calls me a liar"

As a matter of fact, Several Korean professors filed charge against Lee Yong Soo and one more self-proclaimed victim and Chong Dae hyup at the end of last month in Seoul.

Those who blindly believe in Korean fake narratives should really wake up.

http://www.sdh-fact.com/essay-article/1627/

http://www.sdh-fact.com/opinion-article/1555/

https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/south-koreas-dubious-comfort-women-ruling/

I'm reading many people's comments about how cruel Japan is and how they should pay these victims and all that razz. Japan have pain NUMEROUS times! In 1965 Japan signed a treaty to strengthen the ties between both countries and paid a massive amount as compenstaion to the victims.

Japan has protested the court rulings, saying all wartime compensation issues were settled under a 1965 treaty normalizing relations with South Korea in which Japan provided $500 million in economic assistance to that country

Japan also, under a 1995 semi-governmental Asian Women’s Fund, offered payments and apology letters to certified victims of its wartime sexual abuse from five countries, settling disputes with all but South Korea. Sixty-one South Korean victims received 5 million yen ($48,200) each from the 367 million yen ($3.5 million) fund, according to Japan’s foreign ministry, but many others declined to accept the money.

When will it be enough money/compensations? As soon as the SK economy gets a bit difficult, they roll out the victims, place a sigh on them, givwe them the ol' change cup and parade them all over the tv. Not telling the victims that it is the SK govt who are to blame!

If South Korea wants to bring the CW to the UN, they need to first sign an agreement accepting ICJ jurisdiction and recogning ICJ rulings because The International Court of Justice, which has its seat in The Hague, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

Exactly. Prior to the judiciary settlement, there is an international arbitration which is also suggested in the 1965 pact should any dispute arise in the future.

They need to accomomdate Japan;'s requests for ICJ settlement over the Liancourt Rocks, which South Korea has refused 3 times. And they need to settle the interpretation of the 1965 Treaty as it covers payments by Japan to individuals who suffered, but South Korea refuses to abide by the Arbitration Clause.

I posted the previous one while writing. Added:

They need to accomomdate Japan;'s requests for ICJ settlement over the Liancourt Rocks, which South Korea has refused 3 times. And they need to settle the interpretation of the 1965 Treaty as it covers payments by Japan to individuals who suffered, but South Korea refuses to abide by the Arbitration Clause.

Ironically, Japan's position is somewhat closer to Ms Lee Yong-soo who is appealing to an international court settlemnt this time. The Korean officials have been more reluctant, declining to bring the case at the ICJ. They prefer an out of court settlement, a deal made behind the door. We all know what have happened. It won't happen again.

This issue is horrendous. The fact that Japan did that in the first place, the fact that they haven't officially apologised, and the fact that elements in the Korean government use this awful episode (of Korea yet again being shafted by Japan) as a way to drive horrendous nationalist propaganda and division, is horrendous.

The people who suffered for so long under the Japanese occupation deserve an apology (Anyone who says otherwise really needs to read their history) However, the people of South America, Asia and Africa who suffered under long colonial rule by Britain, France, Spain, et al also deserve an apology. And because at least two of those countries are still colonial powers and still some of the most powerful, no such apology will ever materialise, which means that Japan will never apologise either.

Got to be time to put the thing to bed and be friends now. Sadly this will probably continue until the last survivors have long passed.

In order to bring the Comfort Women issue to the ICJ, they need to fulfill this requirement:

"Only States (States Members of the United Nations and other States which have become parties to the Statute of the Court or which have accepted its jurisdiction under certain conditions) may be parties to contentious cases."

https://www.icj-cij.org/en/how-the-court-works

Japan is a signatory to the Statute of the Court and recognizes and accepts ICJ jurisdiction and ruling.

South Korea is not, and has used this to avoid settling the Liancourt Rocks dispute.

I say bring it on. Let South Korea bring this CW issue to the ICJ. And see what happens. There's the violation of the 1965 Treaty. The etraction f the 2015 CW Agreement.

Lee Yong soo is possibly not a former comfort woman but a friend of one as was slipped by her former collaborator Yoon Mee hyang.

Not again. This is hardly newsworthy.

War ended 76 years ago. Get over it already.

Japan needs to stop brainwashing the Japanese people with distortion of history by assuming themselves as a victim rather than an aggressor. In the future, they may teach a truthful history to future generations, and allow more freedom for the Japanese press.

https://youtu.be/9K4zhfMHM4U

https://www.heritage.org/asia/report/the-pearl-harbor-anniversary-japan-still-says-dont-blame-me

@Garthgoyle

China and Korea will not "get over it" unless Japanese society as a whole sincerely acknowledge and come to terms with their nation's past wrongdoings. Do what Germany did after the the war and then they will get over it.

The people who suffered for so long under the Japanese occupation deserve an apology (Anyone who says otherwise really needs to read their history) However, the people of South America, Asia and Africa who suffered under long colonial rule by Britain, France, Spain, et al also deserve an apology. And because at least two of those countries are still colonial powers and still some of the most powerful, no such apology will ever materialise, which means that Japan will never apologise either.

I think you might still be able to try to make the case regarding world history of colonialism (and reconciliation effort). Let's be fair and reasonable by putting things into perspective. The Imperial Japan had ruled the Korean Peninsula for a few decades (1910-1945) while European powers had colonised many for centuries around the world. The Japanese government did apologize over its colonial past officially whle a resolution was also approval at the parliament representing public will. Have Britain, France or Spain ever done the same?

The "comfort women" were more common and global phenomena in varying degrees during peacetime as well as wartime. Why, on what ground you spell out a particular case of particular time and place among many other equivalents being left undisputed or forgotten?

She needs to go have a talk with her own government.

Getting this in front of the ICJ is the best thing that could happen for both Japan and for South Korea. The ICJ can settle the matter with finality as long as both parties agree to abide by their judgement. I suspect the Japanese surely would.

SK will never agree as this would open the door to other issues from the same period to also be brought to the ICJ and SK win or lose will actually lose as it will no longer have anything to go after Japan for and that is core to keeping their country together.

Next they once ( at least once as far as I know) and despite both sides agreeing to accept the court's decision SK lost and refused to follow up on what they agreed to.

So waste of time even going as SK will only agree if it wins

@P. Smith

So basically your position is that if a father did a crime his children and their children are guilty also even though he paid for his crime.

@SJ

We could say the same about SK.

For years and years SK denied that Japan paid or that SK agreed to take the payment and pay it's people directly.

Only in 2005 were the full details of the 1965 agreement and the records of the negotiations released to the public and only after the SK government tried blocking it and the SK supreme Court ordered the documents released.

Those documents showed Japan wanted to do the right thing and pay people directly but the SK government refused and said they would pay their own people which they never did. More than 2 generations were taught in schools that Japan never offered and never paid. And that is why SK will never join or agree to ICJ.

A survey found that South Koreans view Abe more negatively than Kim Jong Un, a dictator who imprisons entire families, gives death sentences to his own officers, and executes people in public.

Another survey found that almost half of South Koreans would side with North Korea in a war against Japan, while 40% said "I don't know".

Wow, that's an eye opener.. So most of the Korean populace essentially supports an extinction level war against Japan. No doubt they have long held plans on how to treat the civilian and expat population here, wouldn't put it past them if it were eye-for-an-eye revenge.

Can't unsee this unfortunately, I did like Korea at one point when I was naive..

@P. Smith

Ok so when the SK government tells it's people it lied to them since 1965 then I will say Japan should make a better apology.

And no more money as it has all been paid as the 2005 documents show.

This should be an annual ritual too until the Japanese understand what they did to not just Korea but the world

So again those born long after the war are to apologize for the crimes of others.

Interesting. Ok when the UK does the same over it's India, Africa, etc.. and France, Belgium, the USA ( see USA Philippines) and all the rest then Japan can do the same.

Now let me put this into perspective Japan in Korea 45 year the UK in India for nearly 200 years much of it non stop war against the locals and never did they give them the same rights.

@Wellington

When a population is feed lies for 3 generations, that is the result.

South Koreans were told over and over Japan never fully paid and the 1965 agreement did not cover payments to the people of SK only in 2005 were the documents released that showed that SK wanted and took full payment and insisted it would pay it's people not Japan (who offered to do it directly).

The official school history for 40 years and even now is that Japan never paid.

@P. Smith

Exposed but not apologised nor admitted it and has continued to claim even with the documents now public that the agreement doesn't cover this issue or others.

Basically saying sure the documents say this but we say ignore the facts and those pesky documents and Japan needs to pay more.

I may not agree with everything Israel does, but I understand when they come out guns blazing over holocaust deniers, going by how people are treating this case? More power to them. Likewise, I'm seething in rage here seeing an abused person, SHE, the one who underwent the experience , pouring her heart out in seeking closure, and she has to go into another experience mostly by those who weren't even born, minimizing, rationalizing, castigating and casting aspersions at her.

We must understand that all evil people try very hard to cover their tracks, and from experience the Japanese would be up there ! What, I ask, at her age does she have to gain by putting herself under this ordeal ? If you were in her place, would you ?

@P. Smith

Look at the West look at the westerners here. Oh Japan needs to apologise, poor SK.

Then they put up statues to these women and Korean colonisation all over the UK , France, USA, etc...

But hey don't expect the to admit to doing the same and worse, don't point the finger at their country's wrong doings, no the reply is always the same just what you just tried doing.

@P. Smith

Why does SK refuse to go to ICJ?

Simple because they know they will lose and it has all been lies by the SK government.

It is that simple if any of what they claim was true then they would love to present their case infront of the world and win.

Japan is ready to go.

Tell us a lot about SK

Japan needs to take care of this, and obviously it’s not been taken care of. So if the problem is a country bullying Japan and incessantly being the thorn in Japan’s side by bringing up the past, go and take care of it.

@P. Smith

SK isn’t a member of the ICJ, so cannot participate in it.

Well it doesn't take several decades to join, oh right I forgot it didn't like the results the last time it agreed then refused to accept it lost in international arbitration.

That's right SK only agrees if and only if it is 100% agreed in advance to win.

Poor reason not to go to ICJ It isn't a member, now why is that? Oh because it would lose, lose and lose and it knows that.

@SJ

So if SK wants this settled all they have to do is join ICJ got to court and it will be done.

So why doesn't SK not just do that?

Because it know most of its claims are false, it knows Japan paid everything under the 1965 agreement any it knows it will lose this and all the rest.

If they thought they would win they would be at the ICJ a long time ago.

@Antiquesaving

Japan is ready to go.

Japan will never ready to go. Responses of the Japanese government have been consistently the same. For example, today,

https://www.nna.jp/news/show/2153554

This shows Japan actually does not want to go to the ICJ. Obfuscation has been a feature of Japanese diplomacy.

@SJ

Japan is a member and has repeatedly said it is ready.

Your claim is false debunked many times.

All that is needed is for SK to join and go.

Then and only then if Japan backs out could you then say anything.

As it is now only SK has refused only SK has also refused to accept previous agreed arbitration results.

The ball is in SK court and it is the only one that is refusing.

SK lied for 4 decades about the 1965 agreement, hid the documents from the South Korean people, taught lies about it in the schools and tried to block the documents release going all the way to the supreme Court trying not to let the truth and facts made public and even after the release of those documents still lies about what they say.

SJToday  03:50 pm JST

@Antiquesaving

Japan is ready to go.

Japan will never ready to go. Responses of the Japanese government have been consistently the same. For example, today,

You obviously don't understand how the ICJ works. If a country is a signatory to the Agreement that accepts ICJ jurisdiction and rulings, it is compulsory to answer a claim brought against it at the ICJ.

Japan is a signatory. South Korea is not.

Japan has tried to settle disputes with South Korea at the ICJ since 1952. South Korea has remained steadfast in refusing to comply because they have no confidence in winning their arguments in an objective court of law. Instead they take actions into their own hands, from illegally occupying the Liancourt Rocks to disregarding the 1965 Treaty.

South Korea is the only country that will never go before the ICJ.

@Antiquesaving

@OssanAmerica

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-japan-labourers-nishimura/japan-says-no-comment-on-international-court-of-justice-plan-in-south-korea-dispute-idUSKCN1UE08

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/01/13/national/international-court-justice-comfort-women/

Should I show more examples of the Japanese unwillingness to go to the ICJ?

Typo corrected:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-japan-labourers-nishimura/japan-says-no-comment-on-international-court-of-justice-plan-in-south-korea-dispute-idUSKCN1UE08F

@SJ

You still don't get it do you? There is no point in Japan going to the ICJ unless South Korea agrees to join the nations that accept ICJ jurisdiction and rulings.

Is South Korea prepared to do this? A simple yes or no will suffice.

@SJ

Either SK joins ICJ and goes or it shuts up.

Your view is Japan has to accept SK and you.

It doesn't work that way.

If SK and Japan are members of ICJ then Japan has no choice but to go if SK brings it to the court, do you understand the meaning of no choice?

No your position is SK is right and Japan has to accept that is one no country will accept.

SK has broken every single deal and agreement with Japan but you claim it is Japan that is the problem.

That is very strange logic.

@OssanAmerica

Is South Korea prepared to do this? A simple yes or no will suffice.

As I am not a representative of S. Korea, I am not entitled to answer your question. The fact is very simple, but you ask a meaningless question.

The fact is that Japan has repeatedly said they may 'CONSIDER' going to the ICJ, but actually, they never did. I am not saying about the willingness of S. Korea, but just dispute the claim that Japan is ready to go to the ICJ. Japan never was and never will be ready to go to the ICJ on the issues of forced labor and CW. Should I explain the reason?

Korea is seen by most now as just abusing its current relationship with Japan.

That may be so in Japan, but in nations attacked by Japan in WWII most now side with South Korea on this issue.

@SJ

Still cannot understand the simplest thing.

If a member of the ICJ brings a case against another member they are obligated to go.

Japan could bring the case to ICJ now but SK not being a signatory if not obligated to go or to accept the Court's ruling.

So all you are pointing out is Japan saying it has or won't talk about going to ICJ as a member vs a non member (SK). And rightfully so as SK has proven over and over and over again to not keep to is agreements.

Not even once.

@Antiquesaving

Either SK joins ICJ and goes or it shuts up.

You seem to be misinformed by Japanese fake news here and there.

https://www.icj-cij.org/en/states-entitled-to-appear

@P. Smith

You seem to have things backwards as usual.

Japan is a ICJ member and as such if another member brings them to court they have no choice to go and accept the ruling.

Now the fact SK isn't is the problem.

So Japan by being a member is already open to the ICJ court and any country that wants can take Japan to court only one problem non of those countries are willing to join the ICJ because they all have already made compensation deals that today they want more and the ICJ will uphold the agreements previously made.

Now those are the facts and all SK or any other country that has a problem with Japan has to do is agree to join the ICJ and take Japan to court, they don't and won't.

You can try deflection all you want but facts are fact ICJ us available and Japan is a member and open to be taken to court by any member.

@P. Smith

Cites? Otherwise, this is pure speculation.

Tell us is SK a member of ICJ, yes or No?

If SK wanted to actually settle the problem it would join ICJ go to court and end this all.

So why is SK refusing to join and use the Court.

Please no deflection just answer the question, why will SK not use what is available and that Japan is obligated to go as a member.?

@P. Smith

Again misinformation on your part.

All UN are members not all are signatory.

Big big big difference.

Singnatory are obligated to appear and accept the ruling.

Non signatory can refuse to appear and even if they do they are not obligated to accept the ruling which SK has already done on a previous situations.

So please answer why SK refuses to be a signatory?