politics

U.N. panel calls for revising Japan-S Korea 'comfort women' deal

42 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© KYODO

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

42 Comments
Login to comment

@Ossan: Is Japan any less guilty of historical revisionism than that of what you claim the ROK being?

3 ( +8 / -5 )

South Korea should then return the money and try to negotiate a new deal.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

It seems that Japan comprehensively better ignore S Korea as well as N Korea and stay away from them. Both seem never fulfill country and country's agreements.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

@Ossan:

Thank you of your reply. What part of the U.S. are you in? I am from the Northwest, but am not in the greater Tokyo area.

Now for the part you won't like:

But no one in Japan is denying any of the charges that were brought at the Tokyo Trials. That a handful of rightwing nationalist nutbags may deny it hardly represents the position of the populace.

Except that Abe, his cabinet, and Nippon Kaigi all deny a vast swath of this history. This means that the populace of Japan is effectively denying it because they keep voting these people into power and raise very little if any stink about the revisionism of Abe and friends.

Books on Imperial Japan's atrocities such as Unit 751 are available in Japanese bookstores, and school textbooks clearly state that Japan conducted a "war of aggression" without any attempt to lay blame elsewhere.

Just because there are books in bookstores does not mean the populace ascribes to the views contained within those books. There are a plethora of books in U.S. bookstores claiming the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were perpetrated by the government, but that is hardly the view of the vast majority of Americans.

The Comfort Women system, a military prostitution system is recognized by the Japanese government.

The Japanese government recognizes the Comfort Women system as military prostitution in an attempt to deflect from what it actually was, which the vast majority of intellectually honest people call sexual slavery. Just because you provide a pittance to those you force to do something does not make it a voluntary system of employment.

 Koreans were all granted Japanese citizenship and a great many actually supported being part of Japan, which was far wealthier and economically powerful.

No, Koreans were not granted Japanese citizenship. To this day, Koreans born in Japan whose parents or grandparents did not apply for and receive Japanese citizenship must do so to become Japanese citizens.

But don't take my word for this, look all this up on your own. It's there for all to see but ignored by the J-haters.

I have researched this topic extensively. The vast majority of credible sources completely disagree with your take. Also, being very disappointed that Japan continuously attempts to minimize its responsibility for WWII and twist history to make itself look like the victim is not the same as hating Japan. Please do not conflate the two.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

@Kiyoshi:

even if that happened, there are millions of issues in the world that havent been resolved.

The comfort women hace been resolved 2 TIMES. 

It did happen. Just because there are currently millions of issues in the world does not negate the importance of historical issues. It clearly has not been resolved given it is an issue of contention between Japan and Korea. The fact that you started your post with "even [IF] that happened" speaks volumes.

Adding that for Us Its not that important and doesnt deserve to be put in our textbooks as a separate issue

This is painfully obvious. There reason it is not important for you is because you were not the victims of this horrendous crime. The events you view yourself as victims of - Hiroshima and Nagasaki - are not only in your history textbooks but your English textbooks. You see how that work? If you don't feel you are the victim, it is not important. If you feel you are the victim, it is quite important. This holds true for the victims of Japan's sexual slavery during WWII.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

First, a national is not always a citizen.

Really? I was under the impression they are the same thing. Can you give more info?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The distinction between a national and a citizen is legal. You can read about this distinction under U.S. law here:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/certificates-of-non-citizen-nationality.html

Thanks, that was interesting to read. I learned something new.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ignore. Korea thinks they can keep making Japan bend over and pay more money. Those days are over.

1 ( +10 / -9 )

...So the Japanese never forced Korean women to be sex slaves because technically they were not called Korean, but Japanese. Brilliant!

No, Japanese never forced Korean women to be sex slaves because most investigations into the issue concluded that these women chose to be involved in this business of prostitution. The US Army did an inquiry on it in 1945 and came to this conclusion.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

@Ossan:

First, a national is not always a citizen.

Second, there is no source cite for that claim on Wikipedia.

Third, this may help you understand:

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2005/04/02/news/japanborn-koreans-live-in-limbo.html

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"Swift_Justice Today 07:47 pm JST

@Ossan:

First, a national is not always a citizen.

Second, there is no source cite for that claim on Wikipedia."

Swift, that Koreans were of Japanese nationality during the colonial era is a fact. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics the Gold Medal Marathon winner was Son Kitei, (Korean name Son Kee Chung). He was recognized by the Olympic committee as a member of the Japanese delegation and his medal credited to Japan.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

You're not fooling anyone but yourself, Japan. You are on the losing end of this issue and it is of your own making. As ye sow so shall ye reap. If you had dealt with this issue decades ago, think of how much further along you'd be on the road to redemption.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

Decades of Post WWII Korean historical revisionism further stoked by continuous manipulation of the issue by Chong Dae Hyup have resulted in this ""a reality that most of the South Korean people are emotionally unable to accept (the deal)." But nations, like people need credibility if they are to prosper and move forward. Considering that Japan already paid back in 1965, and they did again in 2016, for South Korea to abandon the agreement now would put their degree of credibility on a par with North Korea. Perhaps this means nothing to some but it reflects negatively on the image of the country. The UN committee needs to take full responsibility for attempting to upset an agreement that has taken decades for the two countries to reach, and as if there aren't present day cases affecting people right now that the committee should be concerned about.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

Doesn't the UN have anything better to do? First send back all the money given by Japan in 1965 and 2016 adjusted to inflation then we can talk about the crimes of people that are already dead.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Swift_Justice May 13 08:43 pm JST

@Ossan: Is Japan any less guilty of historical revisionism than that of what you claim the ROK being?

All nations are guilty of some "revisionism" to some extent. But it's really no comparison in that Japan was tried at the International Tribunal for the Fareast after WWII, and all the "atrocities" that were verified and documented were tried and before the entire world. Note that treatment of POWs such as the Death March were included. But no one in Japan is denying any of the charges that were brought at the Tokyo Trials. That a handful of rightwing nationalist nutbags may deny it hardly represents the position of the populace. Books on Imperial Japan's atrocities such as Unit 751 are available in Japanese bookstores, and school textbooks clearly state that Japan conducted a "war of aggression" without any attempt to lay blame elsewhere. The Comfort Women system, a military prostitution system is recognized by the Japanese government.

In contrast, Korea was part of the Japanese Empire from 1910 to 1945, some 240,000 Koreans served in the Imperial Japanese military and made use of the Comfort Stations. Koreans were all granted Japanese citizenship and a great many actually supported being part of Japan, which was far wealthier and economically powerful. Not all, but many. Some Koreans became officers and at least one became a General. Park Chung Hee, the father of the now impeached President Park was himself an officer in the IJA serving in China. Koreans became known for the brutality to POWs and quite a number of them were tried and convicted as class B and C War Criminals at the Tokyo Trials. But South Korea, as soon as WWII ended and Korea was released from Japan as a colony, under Syngman Rhee rewrote history as if Korea had been on the Allied side and was "invaded" by Japan as China and other Asian countries were. This is outright revisionism has been adopted by the South Korean people and the U.S. remains silent in order to maintain our relationship, despite our knowing from actual experience and archived records the role Korea played in WWII. But don't take my word for this, look all this up on your own. It's there for all to see but ignored by the J-haters.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

" ThePBot Today 02:01 am JST

In contrast, Korea was part of the Japanese Empire from 1910 to 1945, some 240,000 Koreans served in the Imperial Japanese military and made use of the Comfort Stations. Koreans were all granted Japanese citizenship and a great many actually supported being part of Japan, which was far wealthier and economically powerful.....

...So the Japanese never forced Korean women to be sex slaves because technically they were not called Korean, but Japanese. Brilliant!"

Unfortunately I can't say the same for your unique interpretation. The Comfort Women were employed and on the military payroll. They were a far cry from "sex slaves". That they were military prostitutes is a fact, how they got there is the real issue. The point being made is that Koreans held Japanese citizenship and many volunteered to join the Japanese military, and made use of the Comfort Stations, some actually run by Koreans.

The greater point is that South Korea is guilty off completely re-writing it's history prior to 1945.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Stranger:

The distinction between a national and a citizen is legal. You can read about this distinction under U.S. law here:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/certificates-of-non-citizen-nationality.html

Ossan:

I stand correct. Thank you for forcing me to continue my research.

Page 69, lines 12 & 13 of the book found at the following link resolves this argument between us in your favor:

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=yHOvXwy4_oQC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=imperial+japanese+citizenship&source=bl&ots=aHaCU7k92g&sig=B2SuSJHKCT2sBxJjmSCpxq-xsUY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi10aLwxfTTAhXBy7wKHQj7DjEQ6AEIeDAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

It is important to me that you understand I am not being a sore loser so I do not say the following lightly: Just because Koreans were granted Japanese citizenship during the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula does not evidence that Japan is less guilty of historical revisionism than Korea. Nor does it negate my other arguments.

That said, I do sincerely thank you again for forcing me to continue my research.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Ossan:

*I stand corrected. Clearly I was not correct.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is all nasty politics, and the UN committee has no business sticking its nose into something two countries are trying to absolve. That absolution may not be perfect, and there are undoubtedly hard feelings involved, but Japan and South Korea should be mature enough to go it alone.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

OssanAmerica: "Decades of Post WWII Korean historical revisionism further stoked by continuous manipulation of the issue by Japan have resulted in this."

Fixed it for you! But hey, what's stopped you from believing the white-washed history of Japan up to now? You can just pretend my comment never happened.

"Considering that Japan already paid back in 1965, and they did again in 2016, for South Korea to abandon the agreement now would put their degree of credibility on a par with North Korea."

Which would still make it a lot higher than Japan's on this issue, and in any case you need to learn that "hush money" does not mean they have earnestly apologized. Hell, even when former IJA or a politician TRIES to apologize the wingers jump all over it saying "it does not represent the official stance of Japan", but when the same wingers say Koreans are cockroaches or that the women were willing prostitutes, the latter of which you have said many times, the government stays silent, or even states that it is all just propaganda by SK. So, again, far below even the credibility of North Korea even.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

In contrast, Korea was part of the Japanese Empire from 1910 to 1945, some 240,000 Koreans served in the Imperial Japanese military and made use of the Comfort Stations. Koreans were all granted Japanese citizenship and a great many actually supported being part of Japan, which was far wealthier and economically powerful.....

...So the Japanese never forced Korean women to be sex slaves because technically they were not called Korean, but Japanese. Brilliant!

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

zichi Today 03:06 am JST

The US Army did an inquiry on it in 1945 and came to this conclusion.

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

Those "Japanese Agents" were most likely Zai-Nichi Koreans, bearing in mind that fluency in Korean would be an absolute requirement for the job, and that since 1910 many Koreans had already emigrated to Japan, as Japanese citizens.

"In wars, soldiers sometimes rape innocent women. To prevent this from happening, the Japanese military used existing brothels in Manchuria as comfort stations in the early 1930s. As it advanced into China and Southeast Asia, more comfort stations were needed. So men in prostitution business recruited women and operated comfort stations in order to meet the increased demand. Japanese businessmen recruited women in Japan. They owned and operated comfort stations employing Japanese women. Korean businessmen recruited women in Korea. They owned and operated comfort stations employing Korean women."

"The Japanese military sent orders (See footnote *7) to comfort station operators not to recruit unwilling women. The Japanese comfort station operators followed the order and only recruited willing women in Japan, but the Korean operators didn't follow the order and recruited both willing prostitutes and unwilling women in Korea. If the Korean operators had followed the order, there wouldn't have been any comfort women issue."

From "Comfort Women of the Empire" was written by Professor Park Yuha of Sejong University in South Korea."

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Three words: Get Over It.

Asia and the world are facing grave and unprecedented problems that will require the cooperation of all nations, and instead they choose to bicker over events of 80 years ago. The results of not getting along and solving current problems together will be a thousand times worse that the problems of the past.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Zichi, Koreans were Japanese citizens during the colonial period. both on the Korean peninsula and within Japan.

"After decades of intervention in Korean affairs, Japan formally annexed Korea in 1910. Annexation meant that Koreans became subjects of the Japanese Emperor and were considered Japanese nationals by the Japanese government."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japanese_nationality#Korea

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Swift noted.

It would be nice if Zichi also recognized that his statement below is totally incorrect.

" zichi May 16 09:43 pm JST

Imperial Japan considered the Koreans to be Japanese nationals under the annexed control but not citizens and come 1945 they even lost that so Koreans in Japan were not Korean or Japanese they became foreigners with residence."

Far too much of the issues between South Korea and Japan are based on false information.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Japan just needs to understand that compensation isn't the same as hush-money.

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

Having no obligation does not mean it will be hard, If Japan refuses, it will make it hard for Abe agenda. It will be hard for Abe if he wants more involvement in peace keeping causes. Abe desperately want Japan to head a UN Peace Keeping mission so to create more credibility at home for has changes to the constitution. Abe has change his agenda since 2014-15 and now see Japan has future in arm production. Why hasn't, Nissan or Toyota produce any war vehicles ? I assume they would be a big player if they entered that Market but The Japanese constitution does not allow Japan companies to be involve in producing war equipment. This I assume I don't know for a fact. But Abe want more involvement in the UN and refusing this UN request will see any dreams of future arms contract with the UN and NATO deflate. So I see Japan quickly obliging to the UN request.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Yep MIJ!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"zichi May 14 09:31 am JST

OssanAmercia

easy enough to read up on the National Mobilization Law. How many forced laborers were sent to Japan. How many died there. How many applications for the JIA and how many rejected. How many Korean conscripted etc etc. Its all available.

Not sure what you are trying to prove. The National Mobilization Law concerns forced Labor, NOT Comfort women.

"Two hundred thousand was the number of factory workers conscripted. About 150,000 of them were Japanese and 50,000 were Korean. Common misunderstanding in the West "There were 200,000 comfort women" arose because Asahi Shimbun mistook factory workers for comfort women in its August 11th, 1991 article, which inflated the number. The estimates of comfort women numbers vary from 5,000 to 20,000 depending on the historians."

http://scholarsinenglish.blogspot.com/

 That "Between 1937 and 1945, 242,341 Koreans served in the Japanese Army" is your statement. And these Korean men made use of the Comfort Stations, at a reduced rate no less.

"In 1938, the Japanese Army opened its doors to Koreans. Korean members of the Japanese Army initially served in Manchukuo in anti-insurgency roles, but their involvement grew rapidly. By the height of the Pacific War, Koreans served all across the Pacific, and many of them fought for Japan with fierce loyalty. "

http://ww2db.com/country/korea

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

South Korea is very good at lobbying.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

Japan's going to threaten extortion again over this. Good on the UN for trying to do what's right.

-4 ( +8 / -12 )

even if that happened, there are millions of issues in the world that havent been resolved. The comfort women hace been resolved 2 TIMES.

Adding that for Us Its not that important and doesnt deserve to be put in our textbooks as a separate issue

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites