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Japanese apology to Korean ‘comfort women’

South Korean activists say there may have been as many as 200,000 Korean victims, only a few of whom have ever told of the abuse they endured at the hands of Japanese forces before or during the Second World War.

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The same article added that what it seemed impossible to happen a few months ago, Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, rendered his “most honest apologies” to the women.


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Even when political ties were chilly, the head of Japan’s Keidanren business federation, Sadayuki Sakakibara, met South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul in December 2014 and May 2015, trying to keep the door open.


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Nevertheless, observers have noted that Japan would find it hard to implement the deal if the South Korean government fails to convince the council to remove the statue.

For 7.6 million euros or one billion yen and reiteration of a Japanese apology, South Korea’s government agreed to “finally and irreversibly” accept compensation for elderly survivors over the long-standing issue.

Foreign Minister David Lin speaks to the media during a press conference held in Taipei on Tuesday. “We wanted to honor their endurance and bravery – especially under a Confucianist society – because many women wanted to kill themselves from the shame”. Japan announced that it would pay $8.3 million dollars from the state budget into a South Korean fund to pay for the medical care for the 46 surviving women who have come forward.

(Translated) “In order to restore the dignity and regain the impaired reputation of the comfort women as well as heal their wounded hearts through the agreement, I think it’s most important that the Japanese government swiftly and faithfully carry out the measures under this deal”.

The minister said he would ask Shen to immediately return to Tokyo later Tuesday to personally bring up the R.O.C.’s stance on the comfort women issue to his Japanese counterparts as soon as possible. “In this regard, the government of Japan painfully acknowledges its responsibility”. In the latest deal, the Japanese government will provide about ¥1 billion to a new foundation that will be established to support former comfort women.

An editorial in the official Xinhua News Agency also questioned Japan’s sincerity in the matter, saying that if Japanese intentions were genuine, “it would have apologised and compensated its victims regardless of their nationalities”.

Just 23 “comfort women” remained alive in China as of August 2014, the paper reported.

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Japan, then, has been urging South Korea to state its intention to lay the issue to rest.

Connolly Welcomes Agreement on 'Comfort Women&#039 Issue