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South Korea, Japan reach settlement on wartime Korean sex slaves South Korea, Japan reach settlement on wartime Korean sex slaves
(about 4 hours later)
TOKYO — Japan and South Korea said Monday they had “finally and irreversibly” resolved a dispute over wartime sex slaves that has bedeviled relations between the two countries for decades. TOKYO — Japan and South Korea said Monday that they had “finally and irreversibly” resolved a dispute over wartime sex slaves that has bedeviled relations between the two countries for decades.
In something of a surprise development, the two countries’ foreign ministers met in Seoul to finalize a deal that will see Japan put $8.3 million into a South Korean fund to support the 46 surviving “comfort women” and to help them recover their “honor and dignity” and heal their “psychological wounds.”In something of a surprise development, the two countries’ foreign ministers met in Seoul to finalize a deal that will see Japan put $8.3 million into a South Korean fund to support the 46 surviving “comfort women” and to help them recover their “honor and dignity” and heal their “psychological wounds.”
The move was welcomed in Washington, which has been both concerned and annoyed by the fighting between its two closest allies in Asia. This year marks seven decades since the end of World War II and the end of the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula. The move was welcomed in Washington, which has been both concerned and annoyed by the tensions between its two closest allies in Asia. This year marks seven decades since the end of World War II and the end of Japan’s occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
Independent historians have concluded that as many as 200,000 women and girls — from occupied countries including Korea, China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations — were coerced by the Japanese Imperial Army to work as sex slaves during the war.Independent historians have concluded that as many as 200,000 women and girls — from occupied countries including Korea, China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations — were coerced by the Japanese Imperial Army to work as sex slaves during the war.
“We made a final and irreversible solution at this 70th anniversary milestone,” Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo after speaking to his South Korean counterpart, President Park Geun-hye, on the phone. “We made a final and irreversible solution at this 70th anniversary milestone,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo after speaking to his South Korean counterpart, President Park Geun-hye, on the phone.
Earlier, in Seoul, his foreign minister had said Abe “expresses anew his most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences.”Earlier, in Seoul, his foreign minister had said Abe “expresses anew his most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences.”
“I feel we’ve fulfilled the responsibility of the generation living now,” Abe said after his call with Park. “I’d like this to be a trigger for Japan and South Korea to cooperate and open a new era.”“I feel we’ve fulfilled the responsibility of the generation living now,” Abe said after his call with Park. “I’d like this to be a trigger for Japan and South Korea to cooperate and open a new era.”
In Seoul, Park said it was “especially meaningful” to reach the agreement before the end of 2015, the 50th anniversary of normalized relations between Japan and South Korea. In Seoul, Park said it was “especially meaningful” to reach the agreement before the end of 2015, the 50th anniversary of normalized relations between the two countries.
“The most important thing is for Japan to diligently and promptly implement what has been agreed to restore comfort women victims’ honor and dignity and heal their wounded hearts,” Park said, according to the Yonhap News Agency, after meeting with Fumio Kishida, Japan’s foreign minister.“The most important thing is for Japan to diligently and promptly implement what has been agreed to restore comfort women victims’ honor and dignity and heal their wounded hearts,” Park said, according to the Yonhap News Agency, after meeting with Fumio Kishida, Japan’s foreign minister.
Some of the 46 women still alive rejected the agreement because it did not resolve outstanding legal claims. Japanese officials do not consider the $8.3 million payment to be compensation. It is based on the amount paid into the Asian women’s fund in 1995, set up to give private donations to each victim, worth about $45,000 each at the time. It is to be used to provide medical care and other services to the survivors.
The bigger issue now, South Korean officials say, is whether Japan can secure the money for this deal, because the fund will come from the government’s coffers. There is some concern that conservative politicians opposed to the agreement will try to block the budget allocation.
Some of the 46 surviving women rejected the agreement because it did not resolve outstanding legal claims.
Lee Yong-su, an 88-year-old former comfort woman, said she would “ignore it all.”Lee Yong-su, an 88-year-old former comfort woman, said she would “ignore it all.”
“I don’t think comfort women victims were even considered” in the resolution, she told reporters after the deal, saying Japan had still not taken legal responsibility for the comfort women issue. “I don’t think comfort women victims were even considered” in the resolution, she told reporters after the deal, adding that Japan has not taken legal responsibility for the comfort women issue.
Seoul nonetheless promised this would be the end of the dispute — which has been officially “resolved” before — if Japan fulfills its side of the agreement. It comes less than two months after the two leaders held their first summit, and after the resolution of a high-profile court case, with a Japanese journalist this month acquitted of defaming Park. Seoul nonetheless promised that this would end the dispute — which has been officially “resolved” before — as long as Japan fulfills its side of the deal. It comes less than two months after the two leaders held their first summit and after the resolution of a high-profile court case, with a Japanese journalist this month acquitted of defaming Park.
Notably, both sides agreed to stop “accusing or criticizing each other regarding this issue in the international community, including at the United Nations.” Some of this battle has played out in the United States, with South Koreans erecting memorials to comfort women and Japan trying to have references to “forcible recruitment” removed from American college textbooks. Notably, both sides agreed to stop “accusing or criticizing each other regarding this issue in the international community, including at the United Nations.” Some of that has played out in the United States, with South Koreans erecting memorials to comfort women and Japan trying to have references to “forcible recruitment” removed from U.S. college textbooks.
In Washington, Secretary of State John F. Kerry hailed the agreement, saying it took “courage and vision” to settle the issue.In Washington, Secretary of State John F. Kerry hailed the agreement, saying it took “courage and vision” to settle the issue.
“We believe this agreement will promote healing and help to improve relations between two of the United States’ most important allies,” he said in a statement Monday afternoon.“We believe this agreement will promote healing and help to improve relations between two of the United States’ most important allies,” he said in a statement Monday afternoon.
A senior State Department official likened the agreement’s strategic importance to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping free trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim nations. A senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity under State Department ground rules for briefing reporters, likened the agreement’s strategic importance to the ­Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping trade pact joining 12 Pacific Rim nations. It will contribute to “a more stable, secure and prosperous Asia,” the official said.
“A region in which Japan and Korea are trading, are collaborating, are working together, are exchanging goods and services, ideas, culture, tourists, scientists, et cetera, without reservation, without hindrance, is going to be a more stable, secure and prosperous Asia,” said the official, speaking anonymously under State Department ground rules for briefing reporters. Tokyo had considered the dispute formally resolved in 1965, when it normalized relations with South Korea and offered $800 million in compensation for all aspects of its colonial-era brutality.
“It is the choice of reconciliation over recrimination,” said the official, who acknowledged that some in South Korea were criticizing the agreement. “We hope that it will have the effect of relegating the bitterness of the past to the past, and opening a new chapter of cooperation between Seoul and Korea.” Japan officially apologized in 1993, after a government study that led Yohei Kono, then the chief cabinet secretary, to offer Japan’s “sincere apologies and remorse to all those . . . who suffered immeasurable pain and incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women.”
Tokyo had considered the dispute to have been formally resolved in 1965, when it normalized relations with South Korea and offered $800 million in compensation in 1965 for its colonial-era brutality. But the issue has remained emotionally charged, with many South Koreans in recent years seizing upon statements by Abe’s associates and other conservatives that the women were prostitutes. Park and other politicians have repeatedly called on Abe to atone properly.
Japan officially apologized in 1993, after a government study that led Yohei Kono, the chief cabinet secretary at the time, to offer Japan’s “sincere apologies and remorse to all those . . . who suffered immeasurable pain and incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women.” Tomiichi Murayama, who was the first Japanese prime minister to officially apologize and helped establish a fund for the women, said the deal was encouraging.
But the issue has remained emotionally charged, with many South Koreans in recent years seizing upon statements by Abe’s associates and other conservatives that the women were mere prostitutes. Park and other politicians have repeatedly called on Abe to atone properly. “Now that this bottleneck comfort women issue is solved, I hope Japanese and South Korean relations will progress positively,” he told public broadcaster NHK.
Tomiichi Murayama, the former Japanese prime minister who was the first Japanese premier to officially apologize and helped to establish a fund for the women, said the deal was encouraging. Some analysts questioned whether the deal can hold, given the strength of opposition on both sides.
“Now that this bottleneck comfort women issue is solved, I hope Japanese and South Korean relations will progress positively,” he told NHK, the public broadcaster. Barely an hour after the agreement was announced, Akie Abe, the Japanese prime minister’s wife, made a visit to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo. The site is controversial for Koreans and Chinese because included in the 2.5 million Japanese war dead memorialized there are 14 people convicted of Class A war crimes.
Some analysts questioned whether this deal could hold, given the strength of opposition on both sides. One early sticking point: a bronze statue of a girl, symbolizing a “comfort woman,” outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Japan has been asking for the statue to be removed, and South Korea has now agreed to explore the possibility of moving it. “Heisei 27, the year when we marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the war,” Akie Abe wrote in a post on Facebook, referring to the Japanese calendar year. “We only have few [days] remaining. The last visit of the year,” she wrote, above two photos of the shrine at dusk.
In a post on its Facebook page, a South Korean non-governmental organization called Justice to the Comfort Women noted that Abe did not make an apology himself, but had his foreign minister read it, and described it as ambiguous. “Therefore, it is impossible to accept today’s apology as a sincere one,” the post said. Although it is common for Japanese to visit shrines on the last day of the year, some analysts doubted the timing of Abe’s early visit was coincidental.
The group also chastised the South Korean government for agreeing to the deal, saying it was “humiliating and disappointing” that Park’s administration would try to move the statue and refrain from criticizing Japan. There is also another sticking point: a bronze statue of a girl, symbolizing a “comfort woman,” outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Japan has been asking for the statue to be removed, and South Korea has agreed to explore the possibility of moving it.
In a post on its Facebook page, a South Korean group called Justice to the Comfort Women noted that Abe did not make an apology himself but had his foreign minister read it, and described it as ambiguous. “Therefore, it is impossible to accept today’s apology as a sincere one,” the post said. The group also chastised the government, saying it was “humiliating and disappointing” that Park’s administration would try to move the statue and refrain from criticizing Japan.
Yoongjung Seo in Seoul, Yuki Oda in Tokyo, and Juliet Eilperin and Carol Morello in Washington contributed to this report.Yoongjung Seo in Seoul, Yuki Oda in Tokyo, and Juliet Eilperin and Carol Morello in Washington contributed to this report.