By Kim Hyo-jin
A deal reached between Seoul and Tokyo late last year to resolve the wartime sex slavery issue is “invalid,” claimed the head of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
“As one of the foreign affairs committee members, I sympathize with the victims of wartime sex slavery,” Rep. Shim Jae-kwon of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea said in his opening remarks during an audit session.
“So, I demand that the government invalidate the Korea-Japan sex slavery deal, disintegrate the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation and renegotiate the matter from square one.”
The remarks caused strong protest from ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers. They immediately left the session in protest and only came back an hour after Shim expressed regrets over his remarks.
The Saenuri members criticized Shim for violating the obligation to stay neutral, urging him to express his regret and promise not to make biased remarks.
“Shim appears to have staged this with political intention,” said Rep. Cheong Yang-seog of Saenuri.
“It is totally wrong that the head of the committee called the deal null and void,” senior Saenuri lawmaker Suh Chung-won said.
The two governments agreed to put the comfort women issue to rest “permanently” on Dec. 28, with an agreement under which Tokyo provides 1 billion yen (10.7 billion won) in compensation funds to Korea.
The foundation, named the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation, was set up in July and plans to offer 100 million won in cash to each of the 46 surviving victims and 20 million won to the families of 199 deceased victims.
But the remaining former comfort women, along with their supporters, have protested the agreement for omitting Japan’s recognition of its legal responsibility in running military brothels.
Opposition parties have backed the victims, calling on the government to scrap the deal and renegotiate.