By Chung Min-uck
Seoul plans to exert full diplomatic efforts for the resolution of the forced sexual slavery issue with Japan under the latter’s colonial rule (1910-1945).
“South Korea will continue to proactively raise the forcible sexual slavery issue and other past atrocities committed by the imperial Japan as it is a prerequisite in mending bilateral relations,” said a foreign ministry official, Tuesday. “We will toughen our pressure on Japan over sexual slavery issue.”
Seoul has long been calling on Tokyo to take due responsibility for the past atrocity of sexual enslavement.
Following the landmark constitutional ruling on Aug. 30, 2011, which held the South Korean government irresponsible for not seeking compensation for the victims of sexual enslavement, Seoul sent two letters to Tokyo last year proposing holding a bilateral consultation meeting based on the 1965 Seoul-Tokyo claims settlement agreement.
According to the foreign ministry official, Tokyo has yet to respond, sticking to its previous stance that the compensation issue was settled under the 1965 treaty which normalized the bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo, and that it has no legal liability over the issue.
The official said Seoul is now considering proposing that Japan set up a joint arbitration committee to deal with the matter but added the move is not a magic solution, as some believe, since it only deals with monetary compensation.
“Besides the monetary compensation, what the victims here want is a sincere apology from Japan and Japan taking legal responsibility for the sexual enslavement of Koreans,” said the official. “Also the proposal becomes useless when Japan again ignores our proposal. We are searching for the right timing to make the official proposal.”
Together with the bilateral approach, Seoul plans to continue to raise the matter at the United Nations meeting and join forces with civic groups to put pressure on Japan.
In line with the move, the National Assembly’s foreign affairs committee Tuesday adopted a resolution calling for Japan’s formal apology and compensation over the issue.
Meanwhile, Tokyo is taking a step further by even denying its forced sex slavery in the past.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan’s main opposition Liberal Democratic Party said Tuesday he will withdraw all the apologies that Japan had made in the past regarding historical issues if he takes power in the upcoming elections. Japanese incumbent Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda Monday claimed that there is no evidence that Asian women were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers.
Some 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, were coerced into sexual servitude against Japanese soldiers during World War II following the colonization of the Korean Peninsula.
A total of 234 women are registered with the Korean government as victims, with only 61 surviving, reflecting the urgent nature of the issue.