S Korean president warns Japan over war sex slavery apology review

Thomas Szasz once said "The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget."

"Isolation" from who? South Korea and China? Already been there done that.

You're getting boring now love.

Haha, thats Korean dream for Japan, even before Abe came to power, total isolation and hatred toward Japan from whole world, thats why they try to erase Sea of Japan, and to put everywhere statues of comfort women , and they try to eliminate every kind of Japan symbols all over the world, not only that,not to forget that they want famous symbols of Japan culture to say that its a Korean descent, as for Ninja , Katana, or Samurai, they invented the word Ssaurabi , just for the purpose of making Samurai as their own , so, total eradication and assimilation of Japan culture under the idea that it all came from Korea.

I see her point completely, but she is not helping by things by letting all these anti-Japanese rallies go on either...

Japan has nothing to gain except to hurt it's image among international countries. Hope Japan does revise the apology so the whole world can see Abe for what he is "Hitler of Asia" who is stirring tension and problems between its neighbors.

If she was just against "Honest" Abe it is one thing. The Republic of Korea is using this as a bat against the entire country. President Park is making it harder for Japan to shut up Abe and his minions. I do agree with the Korean people but again make sure of your target.

Up until this juncture, Korea has claimed that Japan has not apologized.

Now they threaten Japan with isolation for reviewing the apology that Korea claims Japan never made.

Does anybody see the irony in all this?

I agree with that Japan has nothing to gain by backtracking and reviewing the apology. Take the high ground and claim an apology has been made and just don't make any further inflaming remarks.

In Seoul, a few hundred actors and citizens, many of them dressed up in colonial era costumes and as Japanese imperial troops, on Saturday re-enacted the bloodbath outside what used to be a prison where pro-independence activists were incarcerated.

This is someway disturbing and pervert.

Thomas Szasz once said "The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget."

Excellent quote, but that would NEVER make any sense to a Korean.

What's the problem with being verified with academics? If what Korean insist is true, this will be a great opportunity to sweep away the suspicion.

There is no total isolation yet, but the general wave is there. In Singapore, we have been totally silent since Japan apologized. But this year saw more activities by the government. We celebrate our 50th independence anniversary next year. I am sure WW2 will be highlighted! In SEAsia, stirrings can be heard and even the Philippines who received so much help from Japan during the Haiyan tragedy, privately they bemoan Abe's actions, especially families of the thousands and thousands who were killed or suffered under Japanese hands. The US has begun to show displeasure as are the Europeans. The Germans are feeling pretty good and standing very tall in the world's eyes.

The Germans are feeling pretty good and standing very tall in the world's eyes.

This is pretty fun, you don't even live in Europe. Currently many people in South Europe think Germany is destroying their life with austerity, because EU economic policy is very German-centric.

Anyway, if the US want to portait Japan as a villain, how JT is doing, it will seem like a villlain, but some people can actually see the geopolitical games behind some kind of propaganda.

Some economic hurdles she & cohorts trying to distract her voters from?

Soooo...Park & crew are getting upset about a Japanese review of the official apology that the Koreans refused to accept in the first place? What the hell is 'sufficiently remorseful'?

Its a bit rich to be whining about a few Japanese right-wingers 'wavering', when no matter what the Japanese have done by way of an apology is rejected by Korean right-wingers. The Koreans can never expect 100% of all Japanese to accept their position (no issue ever has 100% support); if they do, they are being absurd.

I love the way Abe is spinning the South Koreans. The South Koreans went around the world telling Japan never apologized for their comfort women and started erecting monuments everywhere. Japan kept on saying it already made an official apology which the South Korean denied. Then Abe said, lets revisit that apology....

Am I the only one feeling the stupidity going on?

Deal with fools, you can probably stand it, deal with South Koreans, better live in isolation.

The only reason for this government to revisit the apology should be to make it better.

aplologize too to Japanese whose good living were confiscated for the war machine including geisha parties for the top brass

It's unfortunate that J-govt is trying to review (take back) war sex slavery apology. If K-govt is unhappy with this decision than they should be happy with the previous and should settle on that one, don't you think?

Like a broken record. SK Presidents always adopt anit-Japan policies, speeches, statements etc. whenever there's a defence/corruption scandal ongoing or there approval rating is in the toilet. What a coincidence.

Get over it already

What's the problem with being verified with academics? If what Korean insist is true, this will be a great opportunity to sweep away the suspicion.

@mochimochi - I think that is naive. Do you think there will be a genuine, objected review of this matter under the Abe administration? That's like asking the Japanese whalers to objectively review merits of their 'scientific whaling'.

This story is like a recurrent boil on the neck of todays Japanese,who for the most part had little or nothing to do with Imperial Japan and are decent & productive members of world society-Enough!

This story is like a recurrent boil on the neck of todays Japanese,who for the most part had little or nothing to do with Imperial Japan and are decent & productive members of world society-Enough!

@Bartholomew - I agree that the average Japanese person had little to do with any of this mess, but the reason why this issue became headline material in the past few years is the repeated statements by numerous political figures in Japan who attempted to deny or downplay Japan's past wrongs (starting around 2007).

Those politicians were voted into power by the average Japanese person. I don't blame Japanese people as a whole, but they did give platforms to the denialists.

mochimochiMar. 02, 2014 - 08:11AM JST What's the problem with being verified with academics? If what Korean insist is true, this will be a great opportunity to sweep away the suspicion

You have a point. As Korea keeps telling Japan to face the history, it will do so. What's wrong with it?

Korea should face the history too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitutes_in_South_Korea_for_the_U.S._military

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nHZzCS3t1I

I think that the Koreans and Chinese politicians generally have a lot to answer for in using anti-Japanese sentiment as a political rallying point.

However, she is right to express these sentiments in this case, because it is an absolute disgrace that Japanese parliamentarians would even consider such a revision of some of the evidence involving sex slaves. An absolute disgrace.

There are women from all over Asia, Australia and Europe who have testified to being sex slaves, and if I'm not mistaken, several of the trials post WW2 were held specifically to address those crimes. It's very well documented, there are plenty of people who have provided personal testimony, and it cannot be stricken from the record because a bunch of Right Wing Conservatives don't like it being there.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/australian-wartime-sex-slave-jan-ruffohearne-hits-out-at-hideous-japanese-denials-20140224-33d4o.html

These guys need to be men, and accept with humility and remorse what the IJA is very well known to have done in WW2. The majority of the world has, and will forgive, providing Japan is honest and transparent in it's reflections on these crimes. But the world will not forget, and bringing into question the validity of evidence only reflects poorly on Japan.

The Japanese public should be up in arms about this, but their silence is a big concern, imo.

Abe tries very hard to have "talks" with China and S Korea, that shows that he wanted very much Japan not to be isolated by the 2 countries that isolation have not really been started at all. Since Abe and his Right-wingers wanted the isolation so badly with waves and waves of denials one after another, Abe's request should be granted, and I don't think it will hurt Japan a bit.

President Park Geun-Hye,

I am truly sorry for what had happened over 70 years ago when your people accuse my ancestors of wartime sex slave apology. My ancestors are dead now and if they lived, they'd be over 100 years old.

For 35 years, Korea was Japanese colony from 1910-1945.

Even though daughters of Japanese farmers were also sold to prostitution when they were unable to pay the land debt during the Great Depression, they don't blame the Japan for this issue. I wonder whether or not the Korean families from a wealthy background had to be forced into prostitution?

This was also common for poor Japanese families to sell their daughters for prostitution in order to pay off their debt.

I don't know if being Korean has anything to do with being sold to prostitution?

But I am truly sorry for what happened over 70 years ago, even though I was not born during that time.

Please forgive me.

I'll be your best friend!!!

Regards,

Koji

Why review if it will cause confusion. Just forget the case.

Do they wake up everyday thinking "what can we bitch about Japan" ?

Historical truth is in testimony from the survivors.

I love this one. So, we are supposed to just believe anybody that claims to be a survivor (45 years after the war) and blabbers? :-)

I also agree with Tamarama - but then again, I very often do !

KojiWadaMar. 02, 2014 - Even though daughters of Japanese farmers were also sold to prostitution when they were unable to pay the land debt during the Great Depression......

That's understandable and happened everywhere. But how about " Korean farmers were forced to let their daughters to honorably serve the imperial Army and they were so afraid because so many korean were killed for whatever reasons."

Tamarama, You are absolutely correct!

Here we go again with this story. Get rid over of this thing Korea, your people needs improvement in many areas and you Korea(government) is caring more about spreading anti-Japanese propaganda around the world.

Park called on Japan to follow Germany in repenting its past wrongs so that the two countries can put bitter memories behind them and “move forward for a new era of cooperation, peace and prosperity”.

Thing is though, Korea is never going to be able to put it behind and will never move on, they are quite content to pull out this hatred card when ever it feels slighted. And besides the next issue will be those tiny rocks they claim, boy these Koreans are a bunch of whiners , ever been there, they really have an inferiority complex that screams its head off every chance it gets. They will never be big enough to put anything behind them and move forward, its the nature of these people.

They come across like Japans poor cousin and try to emulate Japan in so many ways, yet they cry out how much they hate japan.

I can remember when the previous presidents of S. Korea had to focus on concerns such as national defense, the domestic economy, education and social welfare, and only had a little time left over to snipe at Japan. Pres. Park seems to be devoting an inordinate amount of her time and effort to discrediting Japan. What does she hope to accomplish by this?. For the life of me I can't come up with an sensible answer.

@ Tamarama - thank you for the link. In case people didn't know, the Sydney Morning Herald is a respected Australian Daily with 100+ years history, basically Australia's Washington Post or NY Times.

Some people suggest that a review is good because there is contention, but just what is the goal of such a review? IMO it aims to DISPROVE the current claims about comfort women, rather than to verify the facts.

I quote from the article:

Tessa Morris-Suzuki, an expert on modern Japanese history at the Australian National University, said the ''comfort women'' had become symbolic in the revisionist drive trying to argue Japan was as much a victim as the aggressor.

''From the point of view of people like Mr Abe and others in his government, it is something that makes Japan look very bad … they want to say this didn't happen, or it didn't happen the way people think it did - or if it did happen, everybody else did it as well,'' she said.

All this is Abe's fault. In essence he wants to take back the official Japanese apology. His cronies have out and out denied Japan's crime of kidnapping women and mere girls to be "comfort women." What do you expect the leader of South Korea to say?

A passing thought. I note that the secret Japanese nationalist trolls are out in force with their little minuses for anything intelligent on this thread. Well, this is not an entrance exam. Your barks (or whimpers) are without bites. Those little minuses are like your small minds, among other things.

Only country stands toxwin is China divide and then conquer!!!

@Kabukilover

Well said !

"Take the high ground and claim an apology has been made and just don't make any further inflaming remarks."

Good luck with that!!

Like a broken record. SK Presidents always adopt anit-Japan policies, speeches, statements etc. whenever there's a defence/corruption scandal ongoing or there approval rating is in the toilet. What a coincidence.

@shimosueyohi - Do you actually have any facts regarding Park's approval ratings, or is this just a convenient way to discredit SK's actions? Would LOVE to see some approval ratings and how they relate to Park's statements.

I can remember when the previous presidents of S. Korea had to focus on concerns such as national defense, the domestic economy, education and social welfare, and only had a little time left over to snipe at Japan. Pres. Park seems to be devoting an inordinate amount of her time and effort to discrediting Japan. What does she hope to accomplish by this?. For the life of me I can't come up with an sensible answer.

@Galapagos - For every action, there is a reaction.

You don't think the increasing anti-Japan rhetoric from SK politicians is in any way related to the increasing move in Japan towards viewing their imperial past in 'a more positive light'?

I can remember a time when Korean newspapers didn't have something about Japan and WWII on the headlines every single day. It coincides with a time when we didn't have the Japanese PM, Tokyo governor, Osaka PM, Japan's defence cheif, Nagoya mayor, and the NHK chief all trying to whitewash history.

“I hope Japan extricates itself from denial of history and starts making a new history of truth and reconciliation”, she said

Me too.

"Respected historians say ..... However, a minority of right-wing Japanese insist ...."

Okay JT often includes this last paragraph when talking about comfort women, Nanking etc. and it's true.

But they need to add that the minority is represented by the PM and his cabinet, for a while the leaders of the two largest cities, a whole political party, and the heads of the national broadcaster. And that the views of the majority of respected historians aren't heard much by the majority of the population.

This is the irony and the very real and present dangerous situation in the country with worlds third largest economy and perhaps the best educated populace.

Unbelievable isn't it.

" The most effective way to destroy people is to lie and obliterate their own understanding of their history"..

Gotta love Orwell!! Seems Honest Abe is doing stand up job of this.. Sadly!!

From the Wikipedia link posted in a previous post:

Park Chung-hee, who ruled South Korea during the 1960s and 1970s, and the father of incumbent president Park Geun-hye, encouraged the sex trade in order to generate revenue, particularly from the U.S. military. Park seized power in the May 16 coup, and immediately enforced two core laws. The first was the Prostitution Prevention Law, which excluded "camp towns" from the governmental crackdown on prostitution, and the Second was the Tourism Promotion Law, which designated camp towns as Special Tourism Districts.

So since her father encouraged the sex trade WELL AFTER Japan's defeat and withdrawal from Korea, perhaps the current president feels the need to clear his name and cast his demons off to the specter of Imperial Japan?

During the 1960s, camp town prostitution and related businesses generated nearly 25 percent of the South Korean GNP. In 1962, 20,000 comfort women were registered, and the charge to the American soldiers was two dollars for a short time and five dollars for a long time. The prostitutes attended classes sponsored by their government in English and etiquette to help them sell more effectively.

They were praised as Dollar-earning Patriots or True Patriots by the South Korean government. In the 1970s one junior high school teacher told his students that "The prostitutes who sell their bodies to the U.S. military are true patriots. Their dollars earned greatly contributes to our national economy. Don't talk behind their back that they are Western princesses or U.N. Madams."

So they still used the term "comfort women" and actually praised them as patriots? I'm not sure about the GDP figures and how accurate they are, but perhaps it debunks the notion that the Koreans abhor prostitution and that it was a strictly Japanese undertaking. Seems to me that they were quite comfortable with the notion of prostitution, and profited from it quite handsomely. Going back to ancient times, militaries and prostitution existed side-by-side, and that phenomenon continues to this very day.

Sex slave is the GLOBAL ISSUE and it happens throughout history, not just Korea. Let's do something to prevent it from happening again across the globe. That is the worthy cause, rather than exploiting the issue for one's interest. Only narrow minded peoples are doing such a thing. Human rights violations in N. korea and all over the world, hello.....!!!

Some people suggest that a review is good because there is contention, but just what is the goal of such a review? IMO it aims to DISPROVE the current claims about comfort women, rather than to verify the facts.

Mitch, wouldn't "verifying the facts" also be a biased position, since you are starting from the assumption that the claims are true? You are just taking the opposite default tack from the ones you despise.

Here's the thing. There is no such thing as a completely "unmotivated" review. These things cost money and resources so no one is going to fund them without a motivation. When a drug company does clinical testing, it does so with the goal of proving their new drug works, not a completely neutral position. That's life.

What is important is that the any review is nevertheless methodologically sound and fair. If these conditions are met, than the motivations of its supporter is at least sufficiently irrelevant to not affect the validity of the study.

And if such a review disproves the comfort women thing ... then wouldn't the "sporting" thing to do be to accept the result as uncritically as you would a positive finding?

You don't think the increasing anti-Japan rhetoric from SK politicians is in any way related to the increasing move in Japan towards viewing their imperial past in 'a more positive light'?

Quite frankly, how a country views its past is really an internal affair of the country. If Japan suddenly thinks the Imperial era is the best thing that ever happened to it ... it is still not a legitimate concern to South Korea unless for example Japan starts making motions to re-annex SK.

　 It is good for Japan to apologize about comfort women, and if Abe is trying to withdraw whole Kono statement, I am totally against him. But if he is only trying to investigate and clarify what the word coercive means in Kono statement, then I can understand what he is trying to do.

But I can also understand korean people being suspicious toward Abe that he might use his chance of investigating Kono statement to whitewash history. So Abe should at least make it open to the public, how he is investigating, using what kind of documents or testimonies、so that people can know if his reasoning is fair or not. Same thing is true with apology when apology like Kono statement is made, I think it is better to make it clear what kind of documents and testimonies were used to make that apology.

You don't think the increasing anti-Japan rhetoric from SK politicians is in any way related to the increasing move in Japan towards viewing their imperial past in 'a more positive light'?

Mitch Cohen@What Japanese "view" should not be of any concern to SK politicians at all! S.K. should focus on running their own country, which has plenty of more pressing problems. Japan's attempting to put a positive spin on its "imperial past" does not equal anyone advocating that past be repeated, nor has Japan snatched any territory claimed by Korea. Koreans seem to be deluding themselves into thinking anyone else in the world cares about their constant carping. China might see it as something to emulate for its own propaganda purposes, but people in most other countries are politely stifling yawns.

I wonder whatever happened to that Korean Scholar that stepped down from doing a study about those comfort women after stating that the Korean government has no intent in doing ANY fact finding about the issue.

Coming soon to an American city near you: more and more comfort women memorials

Maybe Abe renew comfort women issue to divert attention from island dispute and or his visit to war shrine.

Not many Koreans care what Japanese do in this case. Park's speech was in Memorial Day march 1 movement day when 8000 Koreans were massacred when millions of Koreans protested peacefully for the independence of Korea from Japanese occupation. The enactments have been held every year for many decades to remind the Koreans those who died for their country. It's far better than yasukuni visits where they worship war criminals and glorify the Japanese war machine while lying about WWII history.

What the SK's president is pointing out is that Japan is keep going backwards and unless Japan become honest and face up to the truths, Japan's reputation will deteriorate and South Korea will continue to disengage talks with Japan.

YuriOtani: "If she was just against "Honest" Abe it is one thing. The Republic of Korea is using this as a bat against the entire country."

I agree with you, for a change. But keep in mind Japan is doing the exact same thing, and it's literally Japan that started it all.

Kazuaki: "Mitch, wouldn't "verifying the facts" also be a biased position, since you are starting from the assumption that the claims are true?"

I tend to believe people who were actually there, have pictures and a brothel journal, and bayonet scars, than lawmakers or the grandson of a war criminal who were never there and have a history of nationalism and revisionism.

All of these people talking about forgetting the past and moving forward are sick. You need to ACKNOWLEDGE the past and NOT forget the past so that it can be used as a stepping stone to move forward. But denial is a very strong element in Japanese society, be it sex-slaves, other war atrocities, company fraud, irresponsibility at a nuclear power plant, you name it. Bad deeds often go unpunished here, if acknowledged at all.

@Mitch Cohen

Do you actually have any facts regarding Park's approval ratings, or is this just a convenient way to discredit SK's actions? Would LOVE to see some approval ratings and how they relate to Park's statements.

http://thediplomat.com/2014/01/park-geun-hyes-troubled-year/ http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/10/us-korea-nuclear-idUSBRE99905O20131010 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/world/asia/south-korean-military-agencys-headquarters-raided-in-growing-scandal.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/20/world/asia/south-korean-cyberwarfare-unit-accused-of-political-meddling.html

Read to your hearts content.

Nearly half of the population NOT agreeing is Not a good rating in anyone's book.

Not even touching your comment that all of Japan is behind the government given that their approval ratings are below Park's.

Thank you, FightingViking.

There are Holocaust commemorations all over the world, but rarely (if ever) are they angerily aimed at present day Germany. Germany has come clean (well 90% clean) about what it did under Hitler. If Japan cannot come clean about its crimes against humanity the lease people like Abe and his gang can do is to shut up.

Abe is partially in power because of all the backlash from Korea and China. They created the situation and just made it worse.

And what if Japan did review its apology and came out in favour of the Koreans, would that shut them up ?

All this is Abe's fault.

No, it's not his fault. He was chosen by Japanese people. And he's still got high approval rate now. Many Japanese are approving this review and they are expecting the government to repeal Kono Statement at the end. It's the fault of Japanese people. You have to stop overestimating Japanese people and realize that many Japanese are morons like Abe.

Suga san, you and your boss are bunch of idiot and loser. you look bad @ international stage. what is the point when you keep on stirring up the old wound. Don't you feel ashame?? please do have some common sense and save Japanese commoners from being shame together with you.

I love this one. So, we are supposed to just believe anybody that claims to be a survivor (45 years after the war) and blabbers? :-)

I'd be less suspicious of them than whichever "historians" Abe is going to get to review the evidence.

@chucky

http://news.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/south-korea-violent-anti-japan-protests---nasty.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZHy2NDU9R8

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20120925/0013729e431911cbaec262.jpg

http://www.japanprobe.com/2014/02/20/korean-man-fined-after-throwing-feces-at-japanese-embassy-in-seoul/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/southkorea/10077759/South-Korean-newspaper-says-Hiroshima-divine-punishment-for-Japans-wartime-acts.html

In case if you didn't know, the (recent) anti-Korea protests were a long-delayed reaction to the countless, state-backed, violent and downright stupid anti-Japan protests, you've only got yourself to blame. Give Park another 3-4 years in corruption scandals to see her approval rating bumble to 20% like her predecessors Roh and Lee before her. Lee visited Takeshima in a desperate attempt to become popular, small good that it did.

2 can play at your game.

There is so much comedy on this thread it's hilarious.. Sitting back enjoying my Sunday coffee and having a good laugh at all those who are truly blind to the grave Japan is digging for itself.. I got friends leaving here in drones and will be doing the same myself soon.. Actually quite a few of my homies have and our heading over to Korea.. As Japan is yesterday's news!!

Kabukilover

I don't deny Germany is doing good repenting on Nazi crimes, and I know there are revisionists in Japan who tend to whitewash war crimes of Japan. But I am feeling Germany too had to struggle over controversial issues, especially when it came to issue of war crimes by Wehrmacht(Germany defense force).

Exhibition about war crimes of Wehrmacht became a controversial issue in Germany in 1995, involving right wingers, neo nazis, and liberals. There were violent crimes done by Neo Nazis who were against that exhibition.

After many argument German Bundestag came to resolution in 1997 that accepted the fact that some individuals of Wehrmacht were involved in war crimes and denied the view of "unblemished Wehrmacht", but at the same time, the German parliament denied Wehrmacht's organizational involvement in war crimes, which is the view left wing parties of Germany had been supporting.

Therefore Bundestag has accepted one part of accusation and denied the other part, and I don't know if they were right in doing that, but my opinion is that they had the right to investigate how Wehrmacht were involved in war crimes, no matter what Poland or France or Austria or Jewish people are claiming. And if Germany had done fair and good investigation and came to that conclusion, I think Germany has the right to deny false accusation on Wehrmacht, and I won't call that whitewashing. Things might be little bit similar with comfort women issue. Investigation is necessary, but only fair and sound one and that is why Abe should show what kind of documents, evidences are used in his investigation, and I also think it is better to investigate with korea, if possible.

Well, I gave Germany a generous 90%. They haven't quite come clean about the genocidal aspects of Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union (this was largely covered up in the West). Nor have they been that good about Greece. But the end result is that they have come out four-square against Hitler and the Nazis. The Japanese have not been so forthright,

@kazuaki shimazaki

Mitch, wouldn't "verifying the facts" also be a biased position, since you are starting from the assumption that the claims are true? You are just taking the opposite default tack from the ones you despise.

I completely agree with you. The argument of those who are for ROK always starts there. In their mind, Japanese arguments are always "absurd," or "ravings", even when there are evidences to support. They would never accept academic reviewing.

Kabukilover

I agree with you that Germany is doing fairly good. And I won't say what Japan has been doing is good, but I also do not think what Japan has been doing is really bad either about comfort women, even though there are some right wingers who say wrong things.

Kono statement and East Asian women fund were not bad things, rather they were good thing. But right wingers tend to criticize kono statement saying it apologizes for things we don't have to, and koreans tend to criticize kono statement as if it is meaningless because there is no cabinet decision or because some right wingers say wrong things after that. Same is true with East Asian women fund, right wingers criticize as if they are paying for things we don't have to pay, and koreans are saying it is insufficient mainly because Japanese gov is not paying it or admitting legal responsibility to comfort women. But I think both of these criticisms are not constructive, Kono statement might be vague, and East Asian women fund might or might not be insufficient, but we should evaluate good part of good things.

In my opinion, Kono statement and East Asian women fund had meaningful part, that is why I am against withdrawal of the whole kono statement. If controversial issue of coercion in Kono statement is causing right wingers to say things about Kono statement, I feel it is better to clarify what really happened, and I hope that will make more of them silent. If they don't become silent after things became clear, I will place more blame on right wingers.

StormR: "And what if Japan did review its apology and came out in favour of the Koreans, would that shut them up ?"

First off, Abe would NEVER review Murayama's apology in favor of Koreans -- hence it is being 'reviewed' in the first place. More importantly, though, your attitude about 'shutting them up' is part of why they would not stop even if reviewed in their favor -- it would not be a sincere apology, only an attempt to mollify for personal gain. You see, you are part of the problem by using such language and exposing your true feelings.

Thomas Szasz once said "The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget."

True but first of all, we're dealing with Koreans here! All Koreans suffer from a mental illness called Hwa-byung (also called K-rage). It regularly puts them into a heated rage and prevents them from clear, logical thinking. So naturally the whole bit of wisdom goes:

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget; the Koreans never forget and never forgive while raging their way through life."

It's every time Japanese government apologize, then the Koreans and the mainland Chinese wants another set of apology. It's like the Duracell battery, they go on and on and on!!

70 years later, they are still going on and on and on about World War 2.

They really need a life.

The Imperial Japanese were also bad to the Vietnamese, Thai and other Asians, but you don't see then asking the present day Japanese to apologize for what happened over 70 years ago.

@KojiWada

You forgot one example, 1952 when SK unilaterally declared Takeshima is their sovereign territory trough the Syngman Rhee Line in which they attacked Japan Coast Guard ships 15 different times.

I also believe Wiki should note this fact in their English version in which I speculate Koreans blocking addition of this inconvenience fact.

CGBSpender: "True but first of all, we're dealing with Koreans here!"

Good example of the kind of mentality that draws hatred.

KojiWada: "70 years later, they are still going on and on and on about World War 2."

You're probably not against the current march against American atomic bomb testing that killed Japanese, though, right? Probably not much against the annual Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemorations, right? I mean, they were so long ago, right? Why doesn't Japan just forget about them and move on already! You guys are so hypocritical it's not even funny.

"The Imperial Japanese were also bad to the Vietnamese, Thai and other Asians, but you don't see then asking the present day Japanese to apologize for what happened over 70 years ago."

You do, actually, and they have museums that show the atrocities of the Japanese Imperial Army. You also hear Dutch victims of sexual slavery complaining. And lest we forget the Japanese government trying to 'forget' the forced suicides in Okinawa -- or wait, you probably don't know about those given they have been erased from textbooks.

@smithinjapan

The problem it's not only the Japanese but even a lot of the foreigners who would never admit that Japan can, in fact, be in the wrong.

"To err is human, to forgive is divine"...

Interesting article. I'll look forward to more news about East Asia, focusing on Japan, which is my respective field of study.

This article should read:

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, who father willingly joined the Imperial Japanese army and In June 1965 Park signed a treaty normalizing relations with Japan which included payment of reparations and the making of soft-loans from Japan to start the building process of the Korean economy, on Saturday warned Japan ..........

It should also be noted that her family made a lot of money and gained a lot of "influence" through their direct association with Japan.

Might get downvoted for this(or the comment might get deleted) but oh well. but I just hope this gets resolved. I know how it feels to be forced into that kind of slavery. I understand how upset they are because this is VERY touchy for people who go through this and then have to have the whole world form opinions about you just because you want justice, most of those people having NEVER ever felt that kind of pain. It is upsetting seeing people on here judging those women. My dad was full blooded Japanese and he did THIS to me, along with some of his Japanese friends. No, I don't hate Japan, I love Japan with all my heart, I just wish people were strong enough to admit that sometimes Japanese people CAN be wrong. There's no justice for rape victims anywhere...I really hope this gets resolved. I feel really bad for them.

@smith- great response very well put!!

@FightingViking- Japanophiles are the worst cuz there's no excuse for their stupidity!!

JanesBlondeMar. 02, 2014 - 06:26PM JST This article should read: South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, who father willingly joined the Imperial Japanese army and In June 1965 Park signed a treaty normalizing relations with Japan which included payment of reparations and the making of soft-loans from Japan to start the building process of the Korean economy, on Saturday warned Japan .......... It should also be noted that her family made a lot of money and gained a lot of "influence" through their direct association with Japan

One more thing South Korea tries to ignore is, they have received the compensation money for North Korea as well.

Japanese government told S, Korea that they would pay that money directly to N. Korea, but S. Korea insisted that they would receive it together with theirs, promissing that they would pay it to N. Korea. J. Government believed that.

Then, what happened?

Recently, I read an article of S. Korean media that they could receive the compensation money for N. Korea when they were united. No way. North Korea can invoice South Korea for that money. Japan has already paid that to S. Korea together with the amount for individuals.

They should study the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea thoroughly again.

As we have seen throughout the years, no apology by Japan is going to please China, and now China's pet, South Korea. This is too big of a nationalistic issue for both these countries, where the leaders score points with the public. After these things are pounded into the heads of the people it becomes this nationalistic political tool all for votes and political benefits. Why would Abe not bring this topic up about reviewing the apology when it seems that the apology that was made was not worth anything to China and South Korea to begin with, so what does it matter? If all is falling on deaf ears anyway, what's the difference? I would tell everyone to shove it to begin with, with the disrespect China and South Korea has shown Japan anyways. Now South Korea is only doing this along with China for trade benefits with China. It is not like South Korea is fooling everyone! They are becoming this little puppet of China just like Germany.... all based on appeasing China for benefits of trade... A good example of the influence of money can have on a country when taking sides with another, which is a totalitarian based regime as South Korea kissing up to China! Maybe is a good time for a united North and South Korea since both are catering to the mother country of China! South Korea is about making me sick every time I hear the name of the country mentioned these days!

@tyvtgo1US: I think being raped repeatedly by a bunch of soldiers is very "disrespectful" too. Everyone is commenting against them without even thinking about the fact that they were RAPED REPEATEDLY. ANYBODY would be upset after that!!!

Mirai Hayashi that is exactly the kind of thinking that gets rape victims ignored. How rude. These women deserve to be heard. I am Japanese, born in Japan, and fully believe that they deserve to be heard and believed.

I think they should do it over and over until nobody questions it. We shouldn't enter into emotional talk, what we need is to investigate with fairness and without bias. I want to know what really happened, appeasement not working

Not many Koreans care what Japanese do in this case.

Are you joking? What about this: 'F!ck Japan', 'Die Abe!' etc... from here: http://nikkanwatch.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-8.html

What's considered right-wing and abusive for Koreans in Japan is absolutely normal in both Koreas.

“Historical truth is in testimony from the survivors. Japan would only bring isolation on itself if it turns a deaf ear to their testimony and sweeps it under the rug for political benefits”, she said.

Isolation? I wish the illustrious president would have expanded on this a little. Perhaps she operates under the misconception that the world at large gives a flying fig about this issue. If she means Japan will be "isolated" from ROK, that would be great, bring it on.

“I hope Japan extricates itself from denial of history and starts making a new history of truth and reconciliation”, she said.

No you don't. You have no idea what the word reconciliation means.

Chenchan those stickers say "dokdo is Korean" on Japanese claims that Takeshima is Japanese. It doesn't compare with the Japanese hate marchers and pro-massacre ethnic cleansers.

Mikihouse, Japan's sex industry including prostitution is $400billion a year, and the US state department classifies Japan as class 2 country along with Russia and other third world countries for not doing much to combat human flesh trade for sex. Does this mean Japan was guilty in WWII comfort women.trafficking? Sounds like it.

Chenchan those stickers say "dokdo is Korean" on Japanese claims that Takeshima is Japanese. It doesn't compare with the Japanese hate marchers and pro-massacre ethnic cleansers.

Such messages would be nicely covered by Korean medias if it had happened in Japan talking some total bullsh* about 'Japanese right swing' and 'militarisation'. That's the difference between two countries - in one it's considered as 'hate speech' while in Korea you can see that everywhere and medias are even encouraging those types of behavior.

Chenchan mass coverage over growing Japanese hate movement is covered by many non Korean press. US state department also reports Japan's bad human rights treatments on its ethnic minorities. And your own historian from Nara University says Japan's history is completely whitewashed and what Abe's attempt is to erase Japan's history and replace it with a clean sanitized version of its history. Very dangerous he says.

http://news.naver.com/main/hotissue/read.nhn?mid=hot&sid1=103&cid=979645&iid=818439&oid=001&aid=0006782068&ptype=011

What if they revised it, and as a result came out and said "sorry, it was worse than we expected...we offer a profound apology over and above what's been done by past leaders...". What would the Koreans and Chinese do then? That'd really blow their agendas wide apart!

Stuarts, that would be great if they did that, but if you read all the Japanese media which all support Abe's move, you can tell the conclusion has already been made. To be honest I think that's going to backfire on Japan who is digging its own grave when it comes to global public opinion, so that's fine with me.

Here video of PropagandaBuster asking same question, why Koreans dont like Abe review of Japan apology from 1993, when they always claimed that there is no apologie for comfort women by the Japan ( specially when they put statues of confort women in America , they like to say that ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCg4pSHFR0Q, so, you dont accept them as apologies , but you want to stay there ? So, it seams Korea knew for apologies, but they dont want to accept them from simple reason, they want to continue to bash Japan all over the world,as long there is a single trace of Japan , they will bash it .

The Comfort Women memorial is a tiny plaque which was set up in Glendale California to remember the victims of the Japanese comfort women system. It was dedicated in memory of those women who were enslaved by the Japanese military in WWII, set up along with the victims of the German Nazi Holocaust, and the victims of the Armenian massacre by the Turks. The farce was that the Japanese took offense with this memorial and turned it into a diplomatic issue. If Japan was sincere in its apology in the Kono statement of 1993, Japan would have supported this memorial to remember the victims. Instead they took offense to the memorial, speaking volumes of Japan's attitude. It was Japan put diplomatic and political pressure on the City of Glendale, and it was Japan which turned it into a huge international issue, when left alone, this memorial would not have been noticed outside of the city. The Japanese move instead sparked and encouraged more grass roots movement within Korean Americans to further raise this issue.

As for the Kono Statement, why Korea would object to the Japanese review of the apology when they didn't accept the apology in the first place? The Kono Statement at that time was widely accepted in Korea as a step in the right direction, or an one step forward for Japan, but it was recognized as not considered enough without proper endorsement from the entire Japanese political establishment, including Abe's current party who consistently diluted the apology with stupid offensive remarks, denials, and whitewashed statements. The perfect example was the Asian Women's Fund which the former Japanese PM Murayama set up, which the Japanese conservatives flatly refused to endorse. Poor Murayama what to do when a big chunk of the Japanese Diet don't want anything to do with the apology?

So with this Abe's plans for this Kono apology, Japan is now going backwards instead of forward. It's too late now, because the whatever that was left of trust between Japan and Korea is lost now, so Japan might as well do what it plans to do because now even if they cancel this plan, Koreans will still be highly skeptical of Japanese intentions. So Japan should just go ahead and do it, and let the chips fall where they may.

And your own historian from Nara University says Japan's history is completely whitewashed and what Abe's attempt is to erase Japan's history and replace it with a clean sanitized version of its history.

Abe don't write books, historians all around the world write about history of Japan, and how he can change that in few years even if he had attempted this? Even China can't do that outside of it's borders. That's some crazy argument.

Chenchan, the history rewrite totally succeeded in Japan. Read the Economist.

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21597946-film-about-kamikaze-pilots-gives-worrying-boost-nationalists-mission-accomplished

Japan’s right wing Mission accomplished? A film about kamikaze pilots gives a worrying boost to nationalists

ONE young filmgoer in Tokyo was clear about why he was queuing up for a third viewing of “Eien no Zero”, or “The Eternal Zero”. The message for him in the film, which is about a group of kamikaze pilots attacking American ships at the end of the second world war, was that young men in those times were manly and purposeful in contrast to today’s “herbivorous” youth. The tokkotai, or “special attack force”, as the pilots are known, have long been controversial but never has their story been so popular at home. “The Eternal Zero” (named after the type of plane flown by the kamikaze) is likely to become one of the most watched Japanese films ever.

Another viewer, Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, declared himself “moved” by the film. Naoki Hyakuta, the author of the best-selling novel on which it is based, is close to Mr Abe. Last year Mr Abe chose Mr Hyakuta as a governor of NHK, the public broadcaster. Mr Hyakuta’s beliefs are right-wing even for a conservative and, while campaigning for another right-winger, Toshio Tamogami, in the race for the governorship of Tokyo this month, he declared that the massacre of Chinese civilians by Japanese soldiers in Nanjing in 1937 “never happened”.

As “The Eternal Zero” has packed cinemas, Minamikyushu, a city in southern Japan, has also been doing its bit to rile the neighbours. It has submitted documents from kamikaze pilots to UNESCO for inclusion in its “Memory of the World” register of important papers and manuscripts, which includes Magna Carta and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Among the artefacts are pilots’ farewell letters, diaries and poems from the city’s Chiran peace museum, a memorial at a former airbase from which hundreds of kamikaze sorties departed.

Both the film and the collection of documents misrepresent the pilots. The right wing seeks to present them as willing fighters who died heroically for their country. In “The Eternal Zero”, the message is at first subtle, as the protagonist, an elite pilot, tries to subvert the military by trying to survive. Yet he becomes a true hero only when he accepts his mission and dies in a blaze of supposed glory. The museum and its collection of documents also broadly support this interpretation. But Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney, a historian, says most recruits were in fact forced to volunteer. She wonders whether the pilots’ letters in Minamikyushu’s submission were censored by their superiors at the time of writing, or written under duress.

South Korea has objected to the move and China has reacted with predictable fury. The authorities in Nanjing say they will again send documents which prove the massacre of 1937 to the same UNESCO register. And there is good reason for China to pay attention to Mr Hyakuta’s view of history: it is succeeding beyond the box office. With Mr Hyakuta’s backing, Mr Tamogami, who has also denied Japan’s historic aggression, did surprisingly well in the Tokyo election, winning nearly a third as many votes as the winner. Asahi Shimbun, a newspaper, reported that about one in four 20-somethings, especially young men, voted for him.

Nonsense. Japanese military fooled, forced, and enslaved the women against their will, it doe that equate to prostitution. Maybe in Japan but not in most civilized world.

Mitch CohenMar. 02, 2014 - 09:48AM JST

Do you think there will be a genuine, objected review of this matter under the Abe administration?

Take a breath and ask the same question to yourself. Do you think there will be a genuine, objected review of this matter under Korean Government?

You are already familiar with the 2 testimonies by Korean former comfrot women before US Congress. 2 out 2 testimonies have fatal contradictions in themselves. Anyone would think further study is needed, unless one is not interested in facts. http://archives.republicans.foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/33317.pdf The protest against further study by Korean Government makes it clear that Korean government is not standing by the facts.

The article mentions "a diary kept by an operator of a World War II Japanese military brothel", which was kept by an ethnic Korean Mr. Pak. The diary was reprinted and published in Korean http://www.naksung.re.kr/xe/182757, and in Japanese http://www.naksung.re.kr/xe/index.php?mid=sepdate&document_srl=181713. Have you read the diary? It refutes many of the baseless claims made and believed by Koreans and makes it clear that Japanese claim that comfort women were prostitutes is mostly true.

Chantella JacksonMar. 02, 2014 - 07:16PM JST

Yuka NakaMar. 02, 2014 - 08:41PM JST

Papi2013Mar. 03, 2014 - 01:24AM JST

I think you are new to this issue. The debate is uglier than you may think. I hope you start by reading this neutral report made by US Army in 1944. http://www.exordio.com/1939-1945/codex/Documentos/report-49-USA-orig.html

Sought Korean president forget that is 2014 and its high time to build good relations with Japan and stop digging into war past.

@chucky3176MAR. 03, 2014 - 06:49AM JST

Nonsense. Japanese military fooled, forced, and enslaved the women against their will, it doe that equate to prostitution. Maybe in Japan but not in most civilized world.

In other words, " give us much more money, Japan!"

The people who are approving wicked actions by my country are the disgusting ones. Japan made slaves of the women. That pain never goes away. Korea deserves as many apologies as they want. If you have never been raped, you have no right to speak ill of the matter. I don't want Japan to have done bad things, but we need to be mature enough to say when wrong is wrong.

hidingout: How DARE you! This issue matters! If your sister or mother was taken and raped repeatedly, and then someone said "the world as a whole doesn't care about this matter!" how would that make you feel! I can't believe that. Here...I was born in America, but I lived in Japan for a really long time. Both of my parents were born in Japan. So I am not someone here who just came to bash Japan. But this is wrong. Taking back an apology is wrong. Think about how it would feel to be on the other side, one of the women who was raped. You probably have no idea how many men raped each of them. You have no idea the pain. I hope this can be resolved quickly so the women can have something close to peace. Being raped doesn't always end with healing.

HB714-Seems you're not the only one to find this thread hilarious, if you and your friends are actually intending on leaving Japan in unmanned aircraft. I believe the correct expression is 'in droves'.

@boweevil- Ever heard of typo!! The v and the n are pretty close in proximity on the iPhone keypad ..

U have got to be kidding me!! Do u really want to go there look up and down this thread and you'll find piss poor grammar left and right .. If u wanna grammar police my whole post go ahead I could really care less fool..

I don't know 'drone' and 'drove' are two different things,,,and you have to admit it is funny to say you're leaving the country in drones. If you can't see the funny side of that-then all I can say is take a lude 714.

Hahaha you tell him

hidingout: How DARE you! This issue matters!

Sorry, no it doesn't. Go ahead, ask around. Try to talk to people (in the normal world) about this topic and all you get is blank stares. They've never heard of it. And they aren't that interested in learning about it.

I'm as sorry as anyone for the actual victims ... sadly, there aren't many of them left alive, and the ones that are still living are being grossly abused and used as pawns in a failed PR war by their own countrymen who can't get past the fact that their nation was nothing but a speed bump for Japan's imperialist aggressions.

Both sides, and everyone, should own up to everything, in honesty and morality.

All I can say is there is no one else to blame but ABE for the worst foreign relation with Korea since the War. Mr ABE has no right or business retracting past official apologies unless he is willing to sever ties completely. No matter what...Korea is our closest neighbor and important ally what ABE is doing should never been allowed. Korea deserves utmost respect from us and should never be subjected to belligerent policy makers.

Korea deserves utmost respect from us.

lmao. Why? I've been desperately searching for something that will at least get me back to feeling neutral about ROK, and I got nothing. Even my Samsung phone is crapping out these days. Respect? I think not.