Citizens angry about 'comfort women' deal

Participants pay respects to Japan's wartime sexual slavery victims who died this year at Wednesday Demonstration near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Wednesday / Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

Many people have expressed anger and frustration over the Park Geun-hye administration’s “secret deal” over the Korean victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery.

“It is such a shame the Park government excluded the victims from its talks with Japan,” said a 28-year-old woman, who refused to give her name. “The government is in no position to make a deal for them unless they agree. Apparently, they never agreed.”

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Park government did not make adequate efforts to listen to the surviving victims before reaching the agreement.

The two nations made the “final and irreversible” deal on Dec. 28, 2015, to resolve the longstanding diplomatic issue. Japan apologized to the victims and agreed to contribute 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) to a foundation dedicated to supporting them.

But the news shocked the victims, who had no idea about the government move. They said they could not accept an agreement.

“The deal makes sense only if there were no victims still living. But many are. I do not understand why the government made a rush for it,” said a 66-year-old man surnamed Jung. “I do hope the two countries will work together for a better future after resolving the issue, but not that way.”

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul for the latest “Wednesday Demonstration,” which has been held there every week since January 1992.

They urged President Moon Jae-in to scrap or renegotiate the deal, saying there isn’t much time left for the victims.

“This year alone, eight of the victims have passed away,” lead organizer Han Kook-yeom said. “The government should not ask them to wait any longer. It should start talks with Japan now.”

Despite the cold weather, about 500 students and members of civic groups participated in the rally. Some were holding flowers to pay respects to the eight women who died this year.

Baek Mi-soon, head of the Korean Women’s Association United, spoke each of the eight women’s names and said, “We will remember them as human rights activists who fought for the rights of women and all humans.”

Japan has urged Korea to honor the agreed-upon deal. But the Moon government has said there appears to have been procedural problems.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told reporters she would talk to the victims and civic groups before making any decision on future talks with Japan.