Japan, SK prepare to ‘enter new era’
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SOUTH Korea and Japan yesterday reached a landmark agreement to resolve the issue of “comfort women,” as those who were forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels were euphemistically known, which has long plagued ties between the neighbors.
The nations’ foreign ministers said after a meeting in Seoul that the “comfort women” issue would be “finally and irreversibly resolved” if all conditions were met.
Calling the agreement “epoch-making,” Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said: “I believe this has set up a stage for advancement of security cooperation between Japan and South Korea, as well as among Japan, the US and South Korea.”
Japan will draw on its government budget to contribute about 1 billion yen (US$8.3 million) to a fund that will help the former “comfort women” and work with South Korea to run a program to restore their honour and dignity, Kishida said.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to take the opportunity to boost bilateral ties soon after the agreement by the foreign ministers.
The accord will be welcomed by the US, which has been keen for improved relations between its two major Asian allies.
Strains between Tokyo and Seoul prevented them signing a deal to share sensitive military information, so a year ago they signed a three-way pact under which Seoul routes its information to the US, which then passes it on to Japan, and vice versa.
Park “hoped that since the two governments worked through a difficult process to reach this agreement, they can cooperate closely to start building trust and open a new relationship,” her office quoted her as saying to Abe.
Abe told reporters in Tokyo that Japan has apologized and expressed its remorse, but added that future Japanese generations should not have to keep on doing so.
“We should never allow this problem to drag on into the next generation,” he said, echoing the remarks he made marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on August 15.
“From now on, Japan and South Korea will enter a new era.”
Japan was “painfully aware of its responsibilities” for the affront to the women’s honor and dignity, Kishida told a news conference in Seoul with his South Korean counterpart.
“Prime Minister Abe expresses anew his most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences,” he said.
Activists in South Korea say there might have been 200,000 Korean victims, only a few of whom came forward. Only 46 of the 238 women in South Korea who came forward are still alive. Their mean age is 89.
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said he valued Japan’s efforts.
“On the premise that the steps pledged by the Japanese government are earnestly carried out, the Korean government confirms that the matter (of ‘comfort women’) is finally and irreversibly resolved,” Yun told the news conference.
The two countries have been trying for several decades to overcome divisions over the “comfort women” issue, but past efforts have not succeeded.
Japan had been insisting South Korea state its intention to lay the issue to rest this time, since many officials resent what they see as South Korea’s use of the “comfort women” issue for domestic political gain despite past steps taken by Tokyo.
South Korea, for its part, wanted a clearer statement from Japan of its responsibility for the women’s suffering.
Former Japanese diplomat Kunihiko Miyake said the timing was right for the deal, as Abe wanted to resolve the dispute this year, the 70th anniversary of World War II’s end, and Park doubtless felt it was better to do so well ahead of a parliamentary election, which is set for next year.
A powerful symbol of success would be the fate of a statue symbolizing “comfort women” that has been put up in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul and has been an irritant to Tokyo.
Although South Korea did not agree to remove the statue, Yun said Seoul recognizes Japan’s concerns and will hold talks with the group that erected it to address the issue.
The two countries have been pushing to improve relations since Abe met Park last month. That meeting took place partly under pressure from Washington.
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