South Korea, Japan reach agreement on 'comfort women'

2stepz_ahead
2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited December 2015 in The Social Lounge
Japan and South Korea have reached an agreement over the long-standing issue of "comfort women," a term that describes sex slaves used by the Japanese military during World War II.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said his government will give 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) to a fund to help those who suffered.

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said that as long as Tokyo sticks to its side of the deal, Seoul will consider the issue "irreversibly" resolved.

In addition, the two governments "will refrain from criticizing and blaming each other in the international society, including the United Nations," Yun said at a joint news conference Monday.

Kishida said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe "expresses anew his most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women."

Abe later stated himself: "I think we did our duty for the current generation by reaching this final and irreversible resolution before the end of the 70th year since the war."

A diplomatic humiliation'

But an advocacy group for former comfort women said the deal announced Monday is "a diplomatic humiliation."

"Although the Japanese government announced that it 'feels (its) responsibilities,' the statement lacks the acknowledgment of the fact that the colonial government and its military had committed a systematic crime," said the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery. "The government had not just been simply involved but actively initiated the activities which were criminal and illegal."

The group took issue that it did not address the issue of Japanese history textbooks glossing over the scope of the war crimes.

"Also, it is notable that the agreement did not specify anything on preventative initiatives such as truth seeking and history education," it said.

Japan helped establish the Asian Women's Fund in 1995, which is supported by private donors and provides assistance to former comfort women.

But up until now Tokyo had resisted direct compensation to the victims, prompting activists and former comfort women to say Japanese leaders were avoiding officially acknowledging what happened.

Stumbling block

It's estimated that up to 200,000 women were forced to be sex slaves for Japanese soldiers in World War II, mainly Korean. Other women came from China, Taiwan and Indonesia.

The agreement stems from accelerated talks that began in November. Last month, Japan, South Korea and China announced they had 'completely restored' diplomatic relations.

The three countries had not met for three years due to political tensions. South Korean President Park Guen-hye said at the time that "comfort women" was the "biggest stumbling block" to Seoul-Tokyo relations.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the forced recruitment of the "comfort women" was a grave crime against humanity.

"The Chinese side always maintains that the Japanese side should face up to and reflect upon its history of aggression and properly deal with the relevant issue with a sense of responsibility."

China, which was also occupied by Japan prior to and during the World War II has long been critical of its neighbor's role in the war and its apparent lack of remorse for war crimes following defeat in 1945.

the rest here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/28/asia/south-korea-japan-comfort-women/index.html

Comments

  • 2stepz_ahead
    2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
    but black folk cant get reparations.
  • StillFaggyAF
    StillFaggyAF Members Posts: 40,358 ✭✭✭✭✭
    but black folk cant get reparations.

    ???? Whats the correlation between this an reparations
  • StillFaggyAF
    StillFaggyAF Members Posts: 40,358 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Japan and South Korea have reached an agreement over the long-standing issue of "comfort women," a term that describes sex slaves used by the Japanese military during World War II.

    Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said his government will give 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) to a fund to help those who suffered.

    South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said that as long as Tokyo sticks to its side of the deal, Seoul will consider the issue "irreversibly" resolved.

    In addition, the two governments "will refrain from criticizing and blaming each other in the international society, including the United Nations," Yun said at a joint news conference Monday.

    Kishida said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe "expresses anew his most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women."

    Abe later stated himself: "I think we did our duty for the current generation by reaching this final and irreversible resolution before the end of the 70th year since the war."

    A diplomatic humiliation'

    But an advocacy group for former comfort women said the deal announced Monday is "a diplomatic humiliation."

    "Although the Japanese government announced that it 'feels (its) responsibilities,' the statement lacks the acknowledgment of the fact that the colonial government and its military had committed a systematic crime," said the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery. "The government had not just been simply involved but actively initiated the activities which were criminal and illegal."

    The group took issue that it did not address the issue of Japanese history textbooks glossing over the scope of the war crimes.

    "Also, it is notable that the agreement did not specify anything on preventative initiatives such as truth seeking and history education," it said.

    Japan helped establish the Asian Women's Fund in 1995, which is supported by private donors and provides assistance to former comfort women.

    But up until now Tokyo had resisted direct compensation to the victims, prompting activists and former comfort women to say Japanese leaders were avoiding officially acknowledging what happened.

    Stumbling block

    It's estimated that up to 200,000 women were forced to be sex slaves for Japanese soldiers in World War II, mainly Korean. Other women came from China, Taiwan and Indonesia.

    The agreement stems from accelerated talks that began in November. Last month, Japan, South Korea and China announced they had 'completely restored' diplomatic relations.

    The three countries had not met for three years due to political tensions. South Korean President Park Guen-hye said at the time that "comfort women" was the "biggest stumbling block" to Seoul-Tokyo relations.

    China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang
    said the forced recruitment of the "comfort women" was a grave crime against humanity.

    "The Chinese side always maintains that the Japanese side should face up to and reflect upon its history of aggression and properly deal with the relevant issue with a sense of responsibility."

    China, which was also occupied by Japan prior to and during the World War II has long been critical of its neighbor's role in the war and its apparent lack of remorse for war crimes following defeat in 1945.

    the rest here:
    http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/28/asia/south-korea-japan-comfort-women/index.html

    liu_kangs_mksm_fatality.gif
  • 2stepz_ahead
    2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AggyAF wrote: »
    but black folk cant get reparations.

    ???? Whats the correlation between this an reparations

    Japan and South Korea have reached an agreement over the long-standing issue of "comfort women," a term that describes sex slaves used by the Japanese military during World War II.

    Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said his government will give 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) to a fund to help those who suffered.


    i think it is obvious
  • StillFaggyAF
    StillFaggyAF Members Posts: 40,358 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AggyAF wrote: »
    but black folk cant get reparations.

    ???? Whats the correlation between this an reparations

    Japan and South Korea have reached an agreement over the long-standing issue of "comfort women," a term that describes sex slaves used by the Japanese military during World War II.

    Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said his government will give 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) to a fund to help those who suffered.


    i think it is obvious

    Nah i don't see the correlation.
  • blackgod813
    blackgod813 Members Posts: 9,577 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Payin history debts thats ths connection righting wrongs
  • CashmoneyDux
    CashmoneyDux Members Posts: 11,217 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Payin history debts thats ths connection righting wrongs

    But this has nothing to do about the US tho so there is no correlation
  • cannonspike1994
    cannonspike1994 Members Posts: 1,509 ✭✭✭✭✭
    but black folk cant get reparations.

    This has nothing to do with the US.
  • babelipsss
    babelipsss Members Posts: 2,517 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2015
    Why not just make a thread on reparations if that is what you really want to discuss?
  • Ghostdenithegawd
    Ghostdenithegawd Members Posts: 16,231 ✭✭✭✭✭
    they would have to give us the country
  • zzombie
    zzombie Members Posts: 11,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    but black people still have something against Africans
  • Ajackson17
    Ajackson17 Members Posts: 22,501 ✭✭✭✭✭
    zzombie wrote: »
    but black people still have something against Africans

    I have something against one African for friend zoning me for five years :s
  • LUClEN
    LUClEN Members Posts: 20,559 ✭✭✭✭✭
    they would have to give us the country

    Nah they owe that to the Indians

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kJzF-jemVg
  • blackgod813
    blackgod813 Members Posts: 9,577 ✭✭✭✭✭
    zzombie wrote: »
    but black people still have something against Africans

    Didnt yall sell us?any way kadfia was the king of africa an we loved him he was a brother to farkan an a true african king ? the rest
  • zzombie
    zzombie Members Posts: 11,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    zzombie wrote: »
    but black people still have something against Africans

    Didnt yall sell us?any way kadfia was the king of africa an we loved him he was a brother to farkan an a true african king ? the rest

    ? shut up I am Jamaican
  • blackgod813
    blackgod813 Members Posts: 9,577 ✭✭✭✭✭
    zzombie wrote: »
    zzombie wrote: »
    but black people still have something against Africans

    Didnt yall sell us?any way kadfia was the king of africa an we loved him he was a brother to farkan an a true african king ? the rest

    ? shut up I am Jamaican

    Shaggy was turrible to
  • kingblaze84
    kingblaze84 Members Posts: 14,288 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Those ? were no joke back then, one reason why I understand the nuclear bomb was used on them....harsh for today's standards but reading on what the Japanese were doing back then, they were vicious people