S Korea's Park says she is not opposed to talks with Abe

You're up in flames in the other thread showing your belief is not holding water and nothing more then hot aired propaganda.

Speak for yourself, whatever helps you sleep at night. Don't bother crying foul when you can't convince others of your twisted revisionist ideology. Park has done very well in her negotiations with Abe

LIVING AND WORKING CONDITIONS;

They(ianfu) lived well because their food and material was not heavily rationed and they had plenty of money with which to purchase desired articles. They were able to buy cloth, shoes, cigarettes, and cosmetics to supplement the many gifts given to them by soldiers who had received "comfort bags" from home.

While in Burma they amused themselves by participating in sports events with both officers and men, and attended picnics, entertainments, and social dinners. They had a phonograph and in the towns they were allowed to go shopping

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Above connent is totally lies. Shoes? Waraji and Geta. Mainland Japan, strict rations (haikyu) and norhtern boys were drafted to wars. their poor farms used to sell their daughters to southern prostitute houses to survive until Gen Mac asked Japanese Govt to stop that practice? Sport? Only /shinai by samurai descendent officers (Shizoku). Others were classified as enemy activities. The same with other actions, Shopping? there was no stores in hot SE Asia when even japan did not have any materials. Kimonos were only worn when sleeping. Students had to wear uniforms all day long or they were labeled enemies (America kabure no teki), Ditto with sport.

Christopher Glen

You're up in flames in the other thread showing your belief is not holding water and nothing more then hot aired propaganda.

That is your own belief which is fine

No it's not, it's main stream fact. I don't have to push it into peoples' faces - it's already accepted fact. Tantalising evidence, or tantalising myths? Oh and while I'm at it http://www.eventbrite.com/e/comfort-women-why-japans-200000-wwii-sex-slaves-matter-today-tickets-12960999699 http://www.whatsonglobal.com/event/1613597/other/manhattan/comfort-women-why-japans-200000-wwii-sex-slaves-matter-today/23-oct-14 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/nyregion/world-war-ii-sex-slaves-bear-witness.html?_r=0

The vast majority of them were not. Thus the majority were sex slaves - and that is the word I will stick to.

That is your own belief which is fine just don't expect everyone else to accept that belief nor push it into someones face without proof. In fact there are more tantalizing evidence to support otherwise so stop push you "Belief" period.

A minority of them were paid prostitutes, yes. So they can safely be called "comfort women". The vast majority of them were not. Thus the majority were sex slaves - and that is the word I will stick to. Regardless of what happened with the money, Japan still has an obligation to factually teach history to its people - an obligation it has not fulfilled. If this obligation was being fulfilled then the issue of compensation would become less significant. As this link shows: http://www.japanfocus.org/-Totsuka-Etsuro/3885 Japan was signatory to the following treaties: ILO (International labour organisation, Convention 29 in 1932.) This treaty prohibited slavery and forced labour. And the International Convention for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic adopted in 1910 by the International Conference in Paris was acceded to by Japan in 1925. (This last one relates to sex slaves, and stipulates punishments for those who violated the treaty. As this was an international treaty it was not covered by the normalisation treaty of 1965. Thus yet again Park is right to hold out on Abe especially over the sex slaves issue

Christopher GlenJAN. 16, 2015 - 06:22PM JST but Park ignores it and just focus on her anti-Japan status. Japan would feel comfortable keeping a certain distance with her.

She is totally justified. Japan hasn't exactly been open with their children in history classes, have they? And now they're asking a US publisher no less to delete usage of the word "sex slave". I don't blame Park at all for her stance."

To generalize is always a mistake. Yes, for South Korea "sex slave" no doubt is the correct term--but are you saying that all of those so-called "comfort women" were actually "sex slaves" or were they prostitutes? The whole issue of "comfort women" is rather murky and there seems to be very divergent stories on the whole issue. And I can assure you that prostitutes can be found around every military base anywhere in the world. At any rate no one seems to dispute that most of those "comfort women" were actually procured or recruited by Korean agents. Are you aware that Park Geun- Hye's father was an officer in the Japanese Imperial Army?

There is lots of prostitution in South Korea today as there is everywhere, but the rate actually seems to be higher in S, Korea than in many other countries. "The South Korean government’s Ministry for Gender Equality estimates that about 500,000 women work in the national sex industry, though, according to the Korean Feminist Association, the actual number may exceed 1 million. If that estimate is closer to the truth, it would mean that 1 out of every 25 women in the country is selling her body for sex."

In the Japan-S. Korea treaty of 1965 Japan paid $800 million to S. Korea; that money was supposedly supposed to go to compensate the victims of Japanese aggression. The S. Korean government instead used that money to build its steel industry, and no supposed victims ever saw any of it.

but Park ignores it and just focus on her anti-Japan status. Japan would feel comfortable keeping a certain distance with her.

She is totally justified. Japan hasn't exactly been open with their children in history classes, have they? And now they're asking a US publisher no less to delete usage of the word "sex slave". I don't blame Park at all for her stance

Japan has been on the maturity stage since the economic bubble burst the same as those in Europe, but in South Korea where only 10 chaebols has sustained 75% of Korean GDP, the decline of those chaebols effects the whole Korean economy, but Park ignores it and just focus on her anti-Japan status. Japan would feel comfortable keeping a certain distance with her.

Korean economy is as I have posted before going down the hole.

Japan's economy has become going down the hole since 1993. And your point is? Park is doing well to hold out on Abe

@A Realist

Probably because the top 30 Korean corporation was reported that their collective debt amounts to a whopping 628 trillion won or approx. 68 trillion yen as of 2013, a 4.3% increase from 2 years prior. The break down is the top 10 amounts to 449 trillion won (49 trillion yen) with Samsung having 87.5 trillion won(9.5 trillion yen) in debt.

http://www.recordchina.co.jp/a100572.html

Korean economy is as I have posted before going down the hole.

South Korean exports to Japan fell 13% last year; there was a 22% drop in the number of Japanese tourists to South Korea. So now Park is "not opposed to talks with Japan" after being opposed to talks for the last several years. Tell her to take a hike.

This is not the evidence but just Korean propaganda which has spread as if it were true. No evidence of kidnapping by the Japanese government. I admit some girls were sold to the agency by their own family because of poverty, though. That used to happen in the old days in Japan as well.

Where is the evidence?

Oh the IJA did a good job of disposing of it. Congrats. The living testimony of surviving women will have to suffice, as well as that from soldiers who raped them. Sex slaves were not paid - although admittedly some of them joined freely so fell into the "prostitute" category. The vast majority of approximately 200,000 women were not paid, but were in fact raped daily. Picking at inconsistencies in some testimonies is just obfuscation. A futile attempt to muddy the waters over what was one of the biggest cases of human trafficking in history. This account puts things in perspective http://homepages.gac.edu/~sommera/Comfort.pdf Park has done well to hold out on Abe

raped daily by 50-100 soldiers

Where is the evidence? Some testimonies by former comfort women are inconsistent and unreliable.

As for the number is still controversial from the study on comfort women by researchers and historians.

Comfort women were well paid and could enjoy their free time as you can see according to the link above of "Interrogation on Prostitution".

Christopher GlenJan. 15, 2015 - 11:14AM JST

We have discussed compensation issue, and you really do not get why it is impossible.

Read San Francisco Peace Treaty. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Treaty_of_San_Francisco

Article 14 (b) Except as otherwise provided in the present Treaty, the Allied Powers waive all reparations claims of the Allied Powers, other claims of the Allied Powers and their nationals arising out of any actions taken by Japan and its nationals in the course of the prosecution of the war, and claims of the Allied Powers for direct military costs of occupation.

Article 26 Japan will be prepared to conclude with any State which signed or adhered to the United Nations Declaration of January 1, 1942, and which is at war with Japan, or with any State which previously formed a part of the territory of a State named in Article 23, which is not a signatory of the present Treaty, a bilateral Treaty of Peace on the same or substantially the same terms as are provided for in the present Treaty,

Japan has treaty obligation not to pay compensation to non-signatory countries to SFPT.

That is why we have this clause in Korea Japan treaty of 1965.

Article II 1 The High Contracting Parties confirm that the problems concerning property, rights, and interests of the two High Contracting Parties and their peoples (including juridical persons) and the claims between the High Contracting Parties and between their peoples, including those stipulated in Article IV(a) of the Peace Treaty with Japan signed at the city of San Francisco on September 8, 1951, have been settled completely and finally.

This is the very reason why US Soppreme Court turned down the claim of Korean former ianfu. See "Hwang Geum Joo et al. v. Japan". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Comfort_women/Archive_2#Hwang_Geum_Joo_et_al._v._Japan

In 1994, the Japanese government set up the Asian Women's Fund to distribute additional compensation to Asian countries including South Korea.

If you had been raped daily by 50-100 soldiers would you want any compensation that didn't directly come from the Japanese government? Setting up a private organisation to compensate victims doesn't cut it. It's almost like laundering your money. The Japanese government wanted to disassociate themselves a little - and that speaks volumes about their sincerity. Oh and by the way they were sex slaves. So Park has every right to set the conditions for any meeting with Abe

HotmailJan. 14, 2015 - 11:33PM JST

But unlike the case with the Japan's sex slaves, the women were not confined against their will and repeatedly raped.

That is more of Korean TV drama image of ianfu than reality. Let us keep fiction as fiction.

http://www.exordio.com/1939-1945/codex/Documentos/report-49-USA-orig.html

LIVING AND WORKING CONDITIONS;

They(ianfu) lived well because their food and material was not heavily rationed and they had plenty of money with which to purchase desired articles. They were able to buy cloth, shoes, cigarettes, and cosmetics to supplement the many gifts given to them by soldiers who had received "comfort bags" from home.

While in Burma they amused themselves by participating in sports events with both officers and men, and attended picnics, entertainments, and social dinners. They had a phonograph and in the towns they were allowed to go shopping.

Someone wrote: why doesn't Park ask the US for compensation for the poor comfort wom en

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This person has to know that comfort woman (Sex Slave) were used by Japanese Military in Asia and he has to know that USA was not fighting against USA in Asia. He has to know that Ianfu was a Japanese word and not English used by USA soldiers/

Ianfu was not prostitutes. They were sex slaves. They were organized by Japanese military and they were in frontline on Japanese side. Thus, they couldn;t serve American soldiers. Some people wrote Korean Agents but they did not create this system. Old Japanese knew when Japanese military proudly revealed that it found how to make useless females to work for the cause of Dai-Toa Kyo-ei-ken on Chokan and Yukan of Asahi, Mainichi, etc. . They did not work for USA soldiers as USA was not in Japanese side against USA. Let's back tp her comment. I think she is sincere.

@hotmail Do you thihk slaves are well paid much better than standard amount of salary? I don't think so. You should not use the inappropriat word "sex slaves".

Those comfort women were also recruited and paid : see the evidence http://f.hatena.ne.jp/sakuneko/20061017072902 http://f.hatena.ne.jp/sakuneko/20061017072904

Their salary was 300yen( about 600,000yen, 5,533,000won, $5,114). Of course, on the process to the comfort stations, there must have been possible cases that young women from poor families were deceived and sold to the Korean or Japanese agencies by their own families. but many comfort women(prostitutes) were attracted by it as well as Japanese prostitutes. There are bank notes, too.

Japanese government had already paid $800 million for the sake of those suffered individuals to the Korean government, but the government kept it secret until 2005. In 1994, the Japanese government set up the Asian Women's Fund to distribute additional compensation to Asian countries including South Korea. That's the Korean government who should compensate to her own people. Do you think Lai Dai Han were born after agreement? I don't think so. Raping is a criminal act. Koreans ignore the crime unless the victims complain, don't they? No guilty sense to 30,000 poor Lai dai han?

Her comments hints at desperation and consequently detelioration of their economy.

why doesn't Park ask the US for compensation for the poor comfort women

Totally separate issue. The women who said they were recruited as prostitutes through deceiving methods, are suing the ROK government, not the US military. But unlike the case with the Japan's sex slaves, the women were not confined against their will and repeatedly raped. At any rate, this issue does not mean it negates Japan's sex slave case.

Did South Korea make an apology and pay compensation to Vietman women for 30,000 Lai Dai Han born after alleged rapes of Vietnamese women by Korean soldiers?

Most of those mixed children were result of fraternizations between Korean soldiers and Korean military contract workers who were working for South Korean or US military. There's no evidence that all of them were born after rapes. Unless Vietnamese women organize themselves and complain that they were forcibly recruited, and confined to be raped, then this is not even an issue.

They were sex slaves of the imperial army. Roughly 200,000 people in all.

That's a new inflated story came around two decades ago for fresh apology and compensation. No evidence.

Talking about comfort women, why doesn't Park ask the US for compensation for the poor comfort women who serviced American soldiers? Did South Korea make an apology and pay compensation to Vietman women for 30,000 Lai Dai Han born after alleged rapes of Vietnamese women by Korean soldiers?

Let's discuss fairly if we view of human rights for women.

http://ianfu.blogspot.jp/2007/07/us-armys-comfort-women-in-vietnam-war.html

But you cannot use a rape case to say something about ianfu case, which was, as recorded in US Army reports during WW2, prostitution.

They were sex slaves of the imperial army. Roughly 200,000 people in all. And like I said the sex slaves came from a number of countries not only Japan

But Koreans are to blame for making her a prostitute.

No, more like the Japanese government of WW2

Christopher GlenJan. 14, 2015 - 03:03PM JST

Let us read some of the testimonies of Australian, Indonesian, Filipino, Korean and Chinese sex slaves.

You just keep mixing rape victims with ianfu. There were a number of rapes committed by Japanese soldiers against enemy women during WW2. But you cannot use a rape case to say something about ianfu case, which was, as recorded in US Army reports during WW2, prostitution.

In the Austlralian case, or then Dutch national Jan Ruff OHerne case, what she does not tell is the fact that it was Japanese MPs who found her working against her will in the brothel and rescued her, well before the end of the war.

In the last link, BBC reports the case of Yi Ok-seon. Here is more detailed story of her. http://politicsoftrauma.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/yiokseonpoliticsoftraumacw.pdf

she couldn't go to school because of the cost, and because her father didn't think it was appropriate for a girl to study.

There was a family who said they would take her in as a foster daughter and send her to school, so she was overjoyed. However, when she went to live with them, it turned out they just wanted her to work in their restaurant. She worked hard, but kept demanding to go to school. Eventually they sold her to a tavern without her family's knowledge, where she worked hard and was treated very badly.

A tavern is a euphemism of a brothel. I feel sorry for her. But Koreans are to blame for making her a prostitute.

SamuraiBlueJAN. 13, 2015 - 09:00PM JST Stuart hayward

You said (Nope, It was KOREAN AGENTS enlisted by Japanese to gather girls.)

You're wrong, CH3CHO actually has inadvertently given two links, showing JAPANESE were also guilty of this crime. Yet you still can't admit the truth, both sides and more were guilty!

CH3CHO: Thank you for even more links, that confirm my previous comments.

If Korea is paradise on earth and Japan an economic wasteland, why do so many young Korean ladies move to Japan to work in the entertainment industry? You'd think it would be the other way round?

Let us read some of the testimonies of Australian, Indonesian, Filipino, Korean and Chinese sex slaves

http://www.smh.com.au/national/australian-wartime-sex-slave-jan-ruffohearne-hits-out-at-hideous-japanese-denials-20140224-33d4o.html http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/nyregion/world-war-ii-sex-slaves-bear-witness.html?_r=0 http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jun/25/filipino-ex-sex-slaves-demand-justice-from-japan/ http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22680705

Abe will have to properly address this issue if he wants to have a productive meeting with Park

Christopher GlenJan. 14, 2015 - 12:46PM JST

Really? Supporting links please

Let us read some of the testimonies of Korean former ianfu. http://koreaverband.ahkorea.com/_file/trostfrauen/Testimonies_KoreanComfortWomen_english.pdf

Hah Sang suk

She agreed, and two days later a Korean man came looking for us at home. The man asked whether we wanted to go to China or Japan, and we answered China. My mother said Manchuria was too far and told me not to go, but I insisted on going. It was sometime in June when I left. The Korean man took us as far as Kyongsong, and we went to an inn near Jangchungdan.

Song Shindo

In 1938, I was solicited by a middle-aged Korean woman to "go work and earn money on the battlefield" because "it's not like marriage, and you can live alone".

Chung Seo-Woon

Two men, one Korean and one Japanese, took us to Pusan, where we were let to a warehouse. Seemingly a thousand girls were kept there. The warehouse was full of tears.

SamuraiBlue, my stats all come from the IMF and the UN, they are not fudged. Funny you mention SK and PRC when they now have the FTA, where Japan is let off out of the picture. Originally, Japan was included until Japan's provocative words and actions. If Japan wants to get back into the fold, they have to smarten up and give up this nonsense of recreating Japan of 1930.

GW

Japan made a formal apology and paid compensation, how many European nations did the same?

NONE.

The European colonists did most of what you say to the locals BEFORE Japan went into SE Asia and China. Koreans are not able to simply wash their hands by saying we were told to do it either but I guess the whitewashed history that you had read tells you otherwise.

SB,

Yeah I know common knowledge regarding the Europeans, so WHY cant/wont Japan own up to what it DID!

As I said there are no doubt many Koreans who are not proud of what they did during those years but JAPAN SET THE TONE, Japan is responsible for the repeated rapes of the sex slaves, pretty simple concept

Nope, It was KOREAN AGENTS enlisted by Japanese to gather girls, the KOREAN AGENTS did everything they know including coercing them by lending the money knowing they would not be able to pay and take their daughter by force.

Really? Supporting links please

Hotmail

Japan is doing just fine thank you, showing figures as they are not some FUDGED figures to evade the truth.

SK and PRC is screaming we are in trouble based on all the figures that are being presented.

333,000 who works below 36 hours a week, 565,000 people who wishes to work after retirement, and 862,000 people who are below 59 years old and retired.

South Korea's total workforce is over 23 million people. Those are small portions of the total workforce. Every country has under employed people, including Japan who are mostly contract and part time workers.

You should look at the glaring facts that Japanese seem to ignore.

South Korea's disposable income is higher than Japan's. So is the UN's Human Development Index where SK outranked Japan.

And look at this:

On that basis Japan has a much larger ‘underemployment’ problem than either the US or the UK.

http://alphanow.thomsonreuters.com/2014/09/news-charts-japans-hidden-unemployment-problem/

Based on these facts alone, Japan's economy is in trouble, and they need every help they can get, and upsetting S.Korea and China at this time, is precisely the wrong time, and it's the very reason why Japan's economy is in trouble, due to their shrinking exports and shrinking business with their neighbors. And precisely the reason why Abe and Japan is so desperate to hold a meeting with China and S.Korea. BECAUSE JAPAN'S ECONOMY IS IN REAL TROUBLE.

But unless Japan drops this WWII glorification and rebooting of their history, their economy will continue to struggle.

Stuart haywardJan. 14, 2015 - 11:00AM JST

Though I consider that to be a deflection tactic,

Call it development of the discussion rather than deflection. I thought you were requesting more documents by calling it "a tiny snapshot."

CH3CHOJAN. 14, 2015 - 10:48AM JST Stuart haywardJan. 13, 2015 - 08:28PM JST

It was a tiny snapshot, with only two Japanese civilians and 20 Korean GIRLS.

The snapshot I was referring to was directly from the link you supplied, now you have changed the content of the discussion and are giving me three new links. Though I consider that to be a deflection tactic, I will read the links and respond after work.

The real question is why Japan should have anything to do with the Republic of Korea? They need Japan more than we need Republic of Korea.

South Korea buys all your products like Uniqlo and Toyota, and keeps your companies in business, and SK is your number one tourists. Without South Korea, Japan won't have an account surplus. That's the question Korea is asking. Why Korea need to do anything with Japan. Korea doesn't need Japan. You're fooling yourself, if you really believe the Japanese net right media pumping out their daily propaganda.

GW

The European colonists did most of what you say to the locals BEFORE Japan went into SE Asia and China. Koreans are not able to simply wash their hands by saying we were told to do it either but I guess the whitewashed history that you had read tells you otherwise.

Stuart haywardJan. 13, 2015 - 08:28PM JST

It was a tiny snapshot, with only two Japanese civilians and 20 Korean GIRLS.

AWF, which was a foundation established by the Japanese Government, did an extensive study of documents in Japanese and US archives, and discloses the pertinent documents here. http://www.awf.or.jp/e6/document.html

The US part is included in the Volume 5 http://www.awf.or.jp/pdf/0051_5.pdf, from page 291 backward to page 125. I would be surprised if there is any declassified material that has not been included in the volume. If you use "it is only a tiny snapshot" defense, just go through the pages. The report on "Brothels" from page 187 backward to page 176 would be of interest to you. What is reported in the English media today looks, to me, quite different from the descriptions in the archived documents.

The information report 49 is included from page 136 backward to page 130. The page 130 lists the names of the girls and "two Japanese civilians", who I think are ethnic Koreans judging from their address. In addition, a recently found diary of an ethnic Korean brothel owner, which was published in Korea and was translated into Japanese, reveals a network of ethnic Koreans who ran "comfort stations”, or Japanese military licensed brothels in Burma. You can read the Japanese translation of the diary here in pdf format. http://www.naksung.re.kr/xe/index.php?mid=sepdate&document_srl=181713&ckattempt=1

Nope, It was KOREAN AGENTS enlisted by Japanese to gather girls, the KOREAN AGENTS did everything they know including coercing them by lending the money knowing they would not be able to pay and take their daughter by force.

SB,

This improper line of thought drives me nuts! Here is the deal SB, wherever Japan went it killed lots of locals, TURNED locals against each other, conquered people were living in HELL, trying to survive, UNDERSTAND!

Out of that Japan set up so the locals turned on each other JAPAN DID THIS< ALL OF IT! So Japan created these ""Korean agents"", Japan is responsible for their actions.

Japan did this through out the far east, the South Pacific & Asia!

While the "Korean agents" I am sure are ashamed of what they did, JAPAN set it all up & is responsible 10,000%.

End of story, I really get sick of people cherry picking little bits without proper context.

Hotmails post at 0830am................

BINGO we have a winner!!!! Nicely put

SamuraiBlueJAN. 13, 2015 - 09:00PM JST Stuart hayward

Nope, It was KOREAN AGENTS enlisted by Japanese to gather girls, the KOREAN AGENTS did everything they know including coercing them by lending the money knowing they would not be able to pay and take their daughter by force.

No, it was Japanese agents. Thought I would bring it up again since you took the time to challenge my comment but failed respond or read the link, stating it JAPANESE AGENTS who did the recruiting in this report. I guess it is you who is completely ignoring the content of the article.

@Hotmail it blew up into a major issue once Abe's administration went full out and claimed it never colonized Korea, and that Korea willingly joined Japanese empire, and that Japan's war time records of atrocities and sex slavery didn't happen.>

Japan's Colonization of Korea, imploring Japan to be part of the empire due to the straintened circumstance, 3,10 million of Japanese victims including the victims by inhumane atomic bombs are all facts of history.

The Abe administration has never denied the facts. But, Japan hates what his ancestors did, and is going straight to a proactive peace country. Abe is going to announce his statement on the war issue this year, following in the Murayama statement on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the war's end.

You have to post comments seeing things in perspective and taking away your biased view.

Hotmail

nigelboy, just about every country including Japan, don't count those who gave up on their job search, because it's hard to know if they gave up the search because they couldn't find anything or because of other reasons

I guess you are completely ignoring the article it reports the figures does not include;

労働時間が週当たり３６時間未満の不完全就業者のうち追加就業希望者（３３万３０００人）▼非経済活動人口のうち就業希望者（５６万５０００人）▼５９歳以下で休んでいる人（８６万２０００人）

333,000 who works below 36 hours a week, 565,000 people who wishes to work after retirement, and 862,000 people who are below 59 years old and retired.

The one who actually gave up is only 370,000 which is the figure you talk about.

I wonder why. Korean people didn't even know that Japan paid millions back in 1965 until early 2000's

It is Japan breaking the spirit of treaty of 1965. Japan by paying the reparations, they're accepting the fact that Japan did wrong. But now Japan is saying they did not do anything wrong. Japan then is going back on the 1965 Treaty agreement in which Japan accepted its war time responsibility of mayhem and destruction.

The 1965 treaty was not exactly a secret in S.Korea. It was on public record for a long time. It brought mass nation-wide student protests which was put down by a military government in 1965 when that happened. But this part of Korean wasn't widely known fact until the mid 2000's when the Korean media started to cover the treaty in more detail.

However, even if the 1965 treaty had ended well (as per your statement about compensation going to individuals, instead to the state) it still would not have appeased S.Korea's anger towards Japan when Japanese leaders keep defending Japan's poor WWII record and see Japan as the major victim. So instead of this issue being a side annoyance between Korea and Japan, it blew up into a major issue once Abe's administration went full out and claimed it never colonized Korea, and that Korea willingly joined Japanese empire, and that Japan's war time records of atrocities and sex slavery didn't happen.

Think of it this way, if German leaders today insists that it never invaded its neighbors and killed millions of Jews, it wouldn't be able to hide by saying that Germany had already apologized and paid billions in compensations to its victims, so Germany can now say it all never happened.

She is the Korean President. She can not ignore people of her country. Abe is in easier position. A majority of Japanese are not griping. As for Koreans, they probably heard miserable life their grandparents had while under Japan's colonial dictatorship. One thing Korea has but Japan does not have is gender of top of Government is female. Ho[e both of them meet and discuss issues a few at a time to concentrate to become friendly countries.

HotmailJan. 14, 2015 - 07:30AM JST The 1965 treaty has no effect on SK's negative feelings when Japanese leaders and its people claim the sex slaves didn't exist.

I wonder why. Korean people didn't even know that Japan paid millions back in 1965 until early 2000's. They didn't care for their own people. The conscripted Korean workers who were supposed to get the settlement money never received a dime from their own Korean goverment.

SamuraiBlueJAN. 13, 2015 - 09:00PM JST Stuart hayward

Nope, It was KOREAN AGENTS enlisted by Japanese to gather girls, the KOREAN AGENTS did everything they know including coercing them by lending the money knowing they would not be able to pay and take their daughter by force.

Though I'm sure that has been the case many times, the information I supplied was directly from the link that CH3CHO supplied. JAPANESE AGENTS, not Korean, read it for yourself before denying it. As I said before, if we are to learn from past mistakes, we first must admit we made one.

Even if comfort women reparation was included in the 1965 treaty,

The 1965 treaty has no effect on SK's negative feelings when Japanese leaders and its people claim the sex slaves didn't exist.

If Korea had agreed back in 1965 for Japan to handle individual compensation, as Japan had first suggested, Japan would have immediately publicized, and given claimants a deadline by which to submit claims with substantiating evidence. Japan would have honored the claim. But based on the treaty, it was up to the South Korean government to set up these measures. the South Korean government did not take sufficient interests in its people such as comfort women who actually suffered from the colonial times, but that was the responsibility of their own goverment. Japan made reparations in good faith to the Korean government instead of to individuals because that’s the way the Korean government wanted it. The Korean government was supposed to pay the individual reparations. Even if comfort women reparation was included in the 1965 treaty, the Korean goverment would've kept the money anyway. It was not Japan’s fault that Park Chung-hee used the money for infrastructure instead. Many Koreans for years didn’t even know that Japan paid reparations.

Maybe if Japan stopped with all the hostile acts, then maybe, just maybe, Ms. Park may do Japan a big favor, and agree to a meeting.

As Suga responded “(SK) should not attach preconditions for a meeting between the leaders of neighboring countries,” which has been a constant message throughout. So no. No meeting.

The question should be what President Park and Republic of Korea need to do before a meeting. They had some of the worse soldiers in the war. The many of atrocities were committed by Korans. Japan has acknowledge their crimes while Korea has whitewashed them. Their criminals became victims instead of being criminals. I could care less it Japan had any sort of relationship with Republic of Korea.

What people forget it is Japans ancestors that committed the crimes. For criminal President Park only needs to look back to her father. Again and again Japan did many bad things in the war but are not alone. The Russian Federation wants to investigate the American war crimes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Clearly the current LDP Government position on atonement for abuses committed during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of Korea has not changed and is unlikely to

Nope. Japanese government may not have changed any official statements on WWII, but they've done plenty to undermine them all with all kinds of provocative statements and deeds like changing all the school text books and announcing that comfort women were lies created by Asahi News.

http://www.chosunonline.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/05/19/2014051901144.html

11.1%

nigelboy, just about every country including Japan, don't count those who gave up on their job search, because it's hard to know if they gave up the search because they couldn't find anything or because of other reasons. Like I said, SK's economy grew by 3.5% in 2014, with growth predictions for 2015 is 4%. What is Japan's growth again? Maybe if Japan stopped with all the hostile acts, then maybe, just maybe, Ms. Park may do Japan a big favor, and agree to a meeting.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said Monday she was not opposed to talking with Japanese leader Shinzo Abe but stressed that there had to be a sincere show of atonement for abuses committed during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of Korea.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Hope they will discuss often now.

BTW, upu will oppose but I believe Ianfu should be properly defined in English so that young foreign people do not mistake that as massage practitioners. My definition is Sex Slaves.

No. That's not how SK count unemployment figures.

http://www.chosunonline.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/05/19/2014051901144.html

11.1%

most people here seem to deny the Japanese revisionism. I suggest you take a look at the yasukuni museum.very interesting view of history.

@Christpher Glen

Déjà vu? I feel like I have read this article before...like, so many times.

And on-cue all the anti-South Korea posters come out of the closet. Abe has been a public relations disaster for Japan. Park has every right to demand sincerity

What part of my (short and indirect) comment is anti-South Korea? Google "President Park Japan apology" and you will see many articles just like this one with different time frame. It's a FACT. I didn't get into "why" she has to repeat the same thing or bash her political stance.

You can judge and label people all you want but if anything, others here think you are the anti-Japan person because you disregard the facts and counter arguments other posters make and skip right into your own conclusion. You are not here to have a constructive discussion, you just come here to bitch and moan how sucks Japan is. Look at your past comments... Have a fun day!

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye "answered a question" with a statement that she was not opposed to talking with Japanese leader Shinzo Abe. Why Hotmail?

Clearly the current LDP Government position on atonement for abuses committed during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of Korea has not changed and is unlikely to. I think we both agree on that, so why effectively call for a summit? President Park Geun-Hye could have slammed the door shut, as in past questions relating to suggestions of a summit. Is this perhaps a change of heart?

Why make such a statement of intention unless there weren't clear reasons for doing so?

She was answering a question. And that's been her answer from day one, which has never changed.

So you like fudged figures, SK Unemployment figures are a joke in western standards counting any and all whom even worked a day within the year as employed.

No. That's not how SK count unemployment figures. If SK economy is going down the hill, then what makes Japan's? SK has over 3% growth, compared to Japan's minus growth. Even if you aright, I don't think Park having a meeting with Japan (even SK having good relations with Japan) makes much difference, if at all.

I think Park wants to meet Abe to improve the Korean economy like what her father did, but she is concerned much about the radical people.

Both South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will find a compromise agreement because it politically suits both countries to do so, economically and strategically.

"South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said Monday she was not opposed to talking with Japanese leader Shinzo Abe".......

Why make such a statement of intention unless there weren't clear reasons for doing so?

Hotmail

So you like fudged figures, SK Unemployment figures are a joke in western standards counting any and all whom even worked a day within the year as employed.

Don't kid yourself SK economy is going down the toilet faster then you can say I, with the highest suicide rate within the developed nation per capita and highest arson rate mostly due to arson.

Regarding the latest war, everything was over by "Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea" in 1965.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_Basic_Relations_between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea

The one who takes responsibility for those victims is the Korean government who received $800 million compensation from Japan.

Asahi Shinbun spread the "comfort women"'s issue to the world based on the groundless claim written by Seiji Yoshida about abduction and forcible sex(= rape) , and finally, after more than 30 years those reports were retracted by Asahi Shinbun. Japan doesn't need to approach South Korea which is facing an economic crisis until Park begs Japan for help as long as she continues unreasonable demand.

SamuraiBlue, SK economy saw 3.5% growth in 2014, with SK's trade and account surpluses were also all time records. Unemployment decreased to 3%. Or are you talking about youth unemployment? (every country has problems with youth unemployment. She hasn't accomplished much, but she hasn't been a total disaster either like Mr Abe's Japan with a minus growth rate.

Hotmail

The very reason she hadn't accomplished ANYTHING during her stay in the office.

Her method had been a total disaster to the SK economy and driven unemployment further forcing her to evade further targeting abroad as target.

The way she is doing it she may face another coup d'État by the military which would be poetic justice to SK.

Park Geun Hye is known in South Korea as a very hard headed no-nonsense and most of all a very uncompromising leader. Lot of people in the politics don't like her because she won't bend. She does the same thing with North Korea, before she will agree to meet with North Korea. She has said that North Korea will have to give up nuclear weapons. Same thing with Japan, before she will meet with Japan, they have to stop the right wing rhetorics praising and defending Japan's brutal WWII record. In her thinking, as far as South Korea is concerned, it's Japan and North Korea that needs the meeting with South Korea, why should South Korea award the two countries with a meeting and a photo op.

What a one-sided, demanding bilateral talk. It's all political for Park.

Stuart hayward

Nope, It was KOREAN AGENTS enlisted by Japanese to gather girls, the KOREAN AGENTS did everything they know including coercing them by lending the money knowing they would not be able to pay and take their daughter by force.

CH3CO: Thank you for your reply. There is nothing in that link that says the US army gave them that name and "comfort girls" is not the same as the revised name of "comfort women". Girls implies youth and woman implies mature. Your link was a Japanese prisoners of war interrogation, done by Psychological warfare team. It was a tiny snapshot, with only two Japanese civilians and 20 Korean GIRLS.

Early in May of 1942 Japanese agents arrived in Korea for the purpose of enlisting Korean girls for "comfort service" in newly conquered Japanese territories in Southeast Asia. The nature of this "service" was not specified but it was assumed to be work connected with visiting the wounded in hospitals, rolling bandages, and generally making the soldiers happy. The inducement used by these agents was plenty of money, an opportunity to pay off the family debts, easy work, and the prospect of a new life in a new land, Singapore. On the basis of these false representations many girls enlisted for overseas duty and were rewarded with an advance of a few hundred yen.

So Japanese agents named their jobs as "comfort service" and told them nothing of their real intensions.

(I guess your against the concept of learning from past mistakes so we don't repeat them.)

You say, "I agree. But it seems to me that it is Koreans who have not learned history and live in false history"

So it sounds like you are saying that Japan has learned everything it could possibly learn from its own history, with no bias of the facts, while "Koreans" have only learn false history? You and I, all human beings and all countries should ALWAYS learn from our past mistakes but we can't if we don't admit them first.

Still curious of the name of that one "good" politician? One who keeps his promises and actually works for the citizen?

Wouldn't it be nice if these Japanese tried to find out WHY Japans neighbours have problems with Japans lack of understanding of WWI..............just an idea........yeah I know it will never happen & that is one reason why Japan is likely to have a rough ride in 2015, there are plenty of others too.

Precisely. One may live in hope

Stuart haywardJan. 13, 2015 - 11:03AM JST

What good are the past apologies if we continue to catorigize the sex slaves as "comfort women"? No other country on earth, has come up with such a ridiculous name, to try and downplay and soften such a crime.

It was, actually, the US Army intelligence officers who named them "comfort girls" in English. The original Japanese name was ianfu, which means prostitutes.

Read this US Army report if you have not.

http://www.exordio.com/1939-1945/codex/Documentos/report-49-USA-orig.html

I guess your agaist the concept of learning from past mistakes so we don't repeat them.

I agree. But it seems to me that it is Koreans who have not learned history and live in false history.

And she just stated that she is willing to meet with the North Korean dwarf without preconditions? But not with Abe, elected leader of Japan, an ally and a democracy?

Ridiculous.

I don't mind the five down votes from this crowd, especially when you can't even debate my comments. I guess your agaist the concept of learning from past mistakes so we don't repeat them. Nor was anyone able to present the name of a "good" politician either. Lastly, woman forced to have sex agaist their will is called rape and it's still an illegal action, naming them as "comfort woman" IS downplaying the crime!

2015 I think is going to be an embarrassing year for Japan, 70yrs and she still hasn't dealt honestly with WWII.

Sure there have been a couple "apologies" that were hinting at some sincerity but it short order & over the years top level fools have CLEARLY showed they have no plans what so ever to admit Japan nasty history.

The sex slaves issue sums up Japan to a T!

And to the person who said something along the lines of "Japanese don't like Koreans/Chinese because Koreans/Chinese don't like Japan""

Wouldn't it be nice if these Japanese tried to find out WHY Japans neighbours have problems with Japans lack of understanding of WWI..............just an idea........yeah I know it will never happen & that is one reason why Japan is likely to have a rough ride in 2015, there are plenty of others too.

Park is going to have to talk with Abe from time to time when the US has the brats come down for dinner.

It will never be enough for Park and the Republic of Korea. I think Japan should downgrade relations with them while upgrading relations with Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Let them have partial relations but not full. Japan needs to stay out of the Korean civil war at all costs!

It is just preposterous.

That's apparently what Suga stated. (but in a diplomatic way, of course)

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/20150113-OYT1T50063.html?from=ytop_top

They could meet at the conference centre in the Imperial Hotel. Or in the ceremonial hall at Yasukuni.....

Agree with SamuraiBlue. She can keep on demanding so that Abe can continue to refuse.

I'm young enough not to know a time when there was a unified Korea. So perhaps that's why I find present-day talk about reunification terrifying. Can someone tell me, is this just rhetoric, or is there a serious desire in SK to reunite with the North?

If reunification did occur, it would likely be phased over many years. South Korea's economy is now considerably far ahead of the North's (which didn't use to be the case) If both Koreas jumped to immediate reunification - which happened with Germany in 1990 - the burden would likely crush South Korea's economy. Anyway, for this to happen the Kim's of the north would have to give up the idea they would be the top dog in any reunification

Why do we need this "Condition to Talk" business in China and Korea?

We talk to negotiate and concession may be made. Who would make concession just for a talk?

It is just preposterous.

Park also said she was willing to hold unconditional talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and to “meet just about anyone” to seek peace and reunification on the peninsula.

I'm young enough not to know a time when there was a unified Korea. So perhaps that's why I find present-day talk about reunification terrifying. Can someone tell me, is this just rhetoric, or is there a serious desire in SK to reunite with the North?

I cannot imagine Kim giving up any power in unification. I can only imagine a North Korean annexation of South Korean policy and ideals.

Déjà vu? I feel like I have read this article before...like, so many times.

And on-cue all the anti-South Korea posters come out of the closet. Abe has been a public relations disaster for Japan. Park has every right to demand sincerity

SchopenhauerJAN. 13, 2015 - 07:36AM JST (This lady is not a good politician.) Can you name a single good politician? (What is the use of bringing back negative memories of such a long past?) So we can learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. (Is her purpose to let Japan gets hands and kneeds down on the ground and apologize?) What good are the past apologies if we continue to catorigize the sex slaves as "comfort women"? No other country on earth, has come up with such a ridiculous name, to try and downplay and soften such a crime.

SenseNotSoCommon: (what an amateur) Good, we need more amateurs to be politicians so they are less skilled at lying and manipulating.

I have worked with many Japanese people over the years and the vast majority just want to have good relationships with everyone regardless of race. When asked about their feelings towards China or Korea, the response is "I don't like them because they don't like us". That's all there is to it despite all the rhetoric. However, the passitivity of the general public leads to right wing politicians getting elected, who in turn seems to take either joy or an amazing lack of foresite in directly or indirectly retracting previous statements or apologies for the atrocities commited by Japan in the past. So, basically, if the public doesn't take a more proactive approach and pride in how their country is run, this becomes an on-going loop.

@iWorld and unjoy

You both are right, but on this newsite, everyone is very anti-korea. So expect to get downvotes, just as I will.

unjoy

Pak can hold wer breath until her face turns blue for all I care.

Japan really don't care how realtionship with SK goes and the US is coming to realize this as well.

Why is it so hard for abe to admit japans crimes? Park is not the one who is stubborn and japan is the one who needs the summit. Funny how now that S. Korea is dominating japan in nearly everything, japan has to beg to even seek a meeting.

Japan has made two apologies for the comfort women, if they give a third then a forth will be demanded and a fifth, a sixth and so on. Spoil the child and it will always want more.

What is an apology without sincerity? Where is the remorse with continuing denials?

Nothing groundbreaking in this article in any regard.

What an amateur.

Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of Korea, including reference to Kono, needs firstly to be engaged at the highest diplomatic level to eliminate any party political interference, a commission perhaps to establish clarity and context. President Park Geun-Hye is not averse to domestic political manipulation and manoeuvring, evidence of which is clear in any reference to normalising relations with a country lead by a communist dynasty that tolerates no dissent, and continues to carry out nuclear testing. Its frivolous nonsense as President Park well knows. These comfort women need closure, threats to further generations laced with malice is unhelpful when the peoples of both countries want an end to this corrosive subject being used as a political football.

Japan has made two apologies for the comfort women, if they give a third then a forth will be demanded and a fifth, a sixth and so on. Spoil the child and it will always want more.

And what would Abe gain from this? A meeting with the governor of a minor Chinese colony. Hardly worth it. If Abe wishes to discuss issues on the Korean Peninsula he should just contact Xi.

This lady is not a good politician. What is the use of bringing back negative memories of such a long past? Is her purpose to let Japan gets hands and kneeds down on the ground and apologize?

S Korea's Park says she is not opposed to talks with Abe

(conditions apply)

If Japan fails to resolve the issue on time…it will not only strain bilateral relations but also put a heavy historical burden on Japan,” Park said, noting that only a few, very elderly comfort women were still alive.

Burden like what?Not on Japan, maybe on Korea. Before Korea started whining about this comfort women , not so long ago (after Kono, 1993),Japan were not a burden to Korea and the reagion was in peace. Too bad your nation is still living in the deserted past. This, I guess is a much heavier burden to carry.

Déjà vu? I feel like I have read this article before...like, so many times.

but stressed that there had to be a sincere show of atonement for abuses committed during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of Korea. “There is no reason not to hold a summit but…we need changes in Japan’s stance,” she said.