By Choi Sung-jin
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) has offered young people work in Japanese “war-criminal” enterprises, a lawmaker said Tuesday.
Rep. Kwon Chil-seung of the opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) made the remark based on his analysis of businesses that took part in KOTRA’s global employment consultation.
After comparing the list of participants in KOTRA’s annual event and the names of 299 war-criminal companies the Office of Prime Minister submitted to the National Assembly, Kwon said 21 Japanese war-criminal firms had taken part in the global job fair over the past four years.
“Since 2013, not a year has passed without some Japanese war-criminal firms taking part in KOTRA’s yearly event,” the MPK legislator said. “By allowing them to participate in an event held by a state agency, KOTRA showed little regard for national sentiments.”
Stressing that the enterprises are symbols of historical crimes, namely the mobilization of Korean forced laborers for waging war, the opposition politician said KOTRA was revealing its lack of awareness by neglecting facts that it could have realized by just referring to media stories about these business enterprises.
The German war-criminal firms, such as Siemens, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, have made repeated apologies and compensation, even finding out the victims of their country’s war efforts and providing educational expenses for their descendants, he said, adding that no Japanese war-criminal companies have done so yet.
“Korean people’s sentiments toward Japan are not good these days, particularly since Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he does not have the slightest intention to send a letter of apology to Korea’s wartime sex slaves,” Kwon said. “We need to restrict the participation of Japanese war-criminal firms, at least in the government’s public events.”
Among the Japanese firms Kwon referred to are Hitachi Shipbuilding, Nissan Motor, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corp and Panasonic.