politics

S Korean appeals court to hear comfort women case in November

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But as bilateral ties remained sour over the comfort women issue, the two countries in 2015 struck a deal meant to "finally and irreversibly" resolve the long-running dispute.

Under the agreement, the Japanese government contributed 1 billion yen ($9 million) to a foundation set up in South Korea. The funds were then distributed to former comfort women and the families of those who died. However, some women refused to accept the money, calling instead for an official apology and compensation from Japan.

The last sentence just about says it all. Even after an OFFICIAL apology and compensation, these people refused that because they wanted, an official apology and compensation?

I suppose if you repeat a lie often enough (Japan has 'never' apologized or compensated for its past misdeeds), the hope is that ignorant folk will accept it as 'truth.'

Ludicrous.

18 ( +23 / -5 )

South Korea pretends to care about the comfort women when it is using them to fuel nationalism and anti-Japan indoctrination. This is the country where people set themselves on fire at protests, children drew pictures of Japan being nuked, schools tried to put stickers in classrooms saying “This device was made by a war criminal”, and gas stations refused to refuel Japanese cars.

Meanwhile, Moon himself dissolved the comfort women fund that Japan created, and an activist was arrested for embezzling money.

The hypocrisy and self-righteousness makes me ashamed to be Korean.

22 ( +24 / -2 )

Japan has taken the position that all claims related to its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula were settled "completely and finally" under a 1965 bilateral agreement under which it provided financial aid to South Korea.

Ok Japan, so just give the apology that they want.

Japan puts on the victim cloak every year during the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing anniversaries and has never taken responsibility for bringing on those attacks itself.

-25 ( +2 / -27 )

1st of all, there are none either in the 1st group nor in the 2nd group who can be plaintiffs under official definition set by Ministry of Gender Equality of South Korea for the comfort women of Imperial Japanese Army. Why then this mess still going on? It is because neither Seoul Central District Court did nor Seoul High Court will hold fact checking process in the trials for each plaintiffs. The trials are completely relying on official registrations at MGE which are simply based on self-proclamation system.

2ndly, It has already been confirmed that 9 out of 16 plaintiffs in the 2nd group appealing, had already received compensation from 2015 agreement's fund. I have no idea what makes these 9 plaintiffs capable of keeping plaintiff-status even ignoring the basic contradiction listed above.

Lastly. The Soul High Court would not need preparation time for this long as it will not spend time on fact-finding of each plaintiffs. It simply intends to wait for and see who would be next president in March 2020. At least, it knows it does not have to please Moon administration any longer.

16 ( +19 / -3 )

South Korea is so obsessed with what happened over seventy years ago, yet they do nothing about North Korea, which launched more than twenty test missiles in the last five years, two of which flew right over Japan.

In fact, a survey found that more than half of South Koreans would support North Korea in a war against Japan, while 40% said "I don't know".

Not to mention the fact that Moon threatened to pull ouf of GSOMIA, putting millions of lives at risk of nuclear war. 

The double standards are obvious. South Korea needs to get its head out of the past and into reality.

20 ( +22 / -2 )

One thing disturbing Korean Justice a lot other than presidency election in March 2022 is that a professor and his group are now pressing charges against 2 symbolic figures , Lee Yong-soo , Kil Wong-ok for the crime of dishonest receipt of an official subsidy for IJA comfort women, and demanding official investigation about these two.

At Ministry of Gender Equality of South Korea, it is defined that IJA comfort women victim are the ones who were forcibly taken by IJA in order to be registered as a victim. Neither of two do not fit that basic requirement for the registration.

This brave South Korean professor and his South Korean NPO persist that these South Korean Comfort women issue is nothing more than international fraud case deceiving the entire world led by Chong Dae Hyup.. and

that Japan should abolish Kono Danwa immediately.

13 ( +16 / -3 )

Get over it and move on, Korea.

Hey, but that would mean no longer having a goose to lay golden eggs, I guess.

Ok then, Korea. As you were.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

So much for the naive fools who thought the previous SK court decision would lead to a new start between SK and Japan! I called it at the time - this is endless.

The court decision WILL be overturned on appeal. Put your houses on that. SK will continue to demand money from Japan. Guaranteed.

17 ( +19 / -2 )

@P Smith

For someone who defends S. Korea 24/7 you should know what playing the victim looks like in real life.

-Japan doesn't want compensation. While SKorea does. Multiple times.

-Japan is not building statues worldwide to nuclear victims. SKorea does to comfort women.

Japan is not asking for apology and then the next day say it never happened. SKorea said so about 55 apologies from dozens of Japanese PMs.

Japan has good relations with USA, while SKorea hates Japan with a strong passion.

You should know exactly what playing the victim and milking it looks like. You have the experience from SKorea.

18 ( +20 / -2 )

ReasonandWisdomNipponToday  12:12 pm JST

@P Smith

For someone who defends S. Korea 24/7 you should know what playing the victim looks like in real life. 

-Japan doesn't want compensation. While SKorea does. Multiple times. 

-Japan is not building statues worldwide to nuclear victims. SKorea does to comfort women. 

The US rebuilt Japan's infrastructure after the war, so that economy has thrived since. What other compensation would there be?

Japan was the aggressor; South Korea was an actual victim. Can't blame South Kore's for one bit as to how it feels.

And the memorial at Hiroshima is bigger that all the worldwide comfort women statues combined.

-19 ( +1 / -20 )

How many comfort women are still alive? At some point, the discussion about compensation will become moot.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

The US rebuilt Japan's infrastructure after the war, so that economy has thrived since. What other compensation would there be?

As part of the 1965 agreement, Japan gave South Korea $300 million in economic aid, $200 million in loans, and $300 million in loans for private trust. Incidentally, part of the money was meant for the war victims, but Park Chung Hee instead used it to fund the chaebols, benefitting the entire Korean economy.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Commodore PerryToday  07:10 am JST

Ok Japan, so just give the apology that they want.

They already did in 2015. All the money South Korea demanded along with an official apology from the J-Prime Minister. After calling it a "Permanent and irreversible Agreement", SK Pres Moon ripped it up. The money from Japan never went to the surviving CWs and it hasn't been returned to Japan either.

The CW need to sue the South Korean government.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Sk should learn memorize n remember now no amount of whining will lead them to free japanese money anymore deceit is in the name kim is condo perry here

10 ( +11 / -1 )

And the memorial at Hiroshima is bigger that all the worldwide comfort women statues combined.

Well said! lol.

Please make a gigantic comfort women statue bigger than that. Mr and Mrs Kim would be listed within top 10 Forbes ranking. You can also change the South Korean national flag to insert her face into the center, that is something the biggest.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Commodore PerryToday  03:37 pm JST

Japan was the aggressor; South Korea was an actual victim. Can't blame South Kore's for one bit as to how it feels.

Korean historical revisionism. Korea was part of Japan from 1910 and Koreans were Japanese citizens. Korean troops as part of the IJA were the aggressors, invading China, Philipines, Singapore, Indonesia, etc. Koreans were not the victims in WWII. How they treated allied POWs is well documented. They just decided to claim to be victims after WWII ended. And this is what they teach their children in their schools.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

@1glenn How many comfort women are still alive? At some point, the discussion about compensation will become moot. The fact of the matter has nothing to do with how many comfort women are still alive!! The fact is this is something that happened and you just can't sweep it under the carpet. Many people benefited from what occurred. I agreed at some point, the discussion about compensation should be become moot, but WHAT HAPPENED should not be forgotten. For example your logic says the Americans should forget about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, or Japanese should forget about the US dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan. The compensation has been paid years ago but what happened has not been forgotten by both sides!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

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