Friday, 19 February 2021_A South Korean victim of Japanese wartime sex slavery wants Tokyo to answer for its crimes at the International Criminal Court, and calls on the South Korean government to press the issue. Japan insists that the 'comfort women' problem has already been resolved with previous agreements. But the victims argue that they were not consulted on the previous deals, and demand a direct personal apology and compensation.
Ninety-two-year-old Lee Yong-soo, a victim of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, braved the media spotlight to press the South Korean government to hold Japan accountable at the International Criminal Court.
The renewed controversy follows the recent online publication of Harvard Professor J. Mark Ramseyers’ article suggesting comfort women were voluntarily-paid prostitutes. A deluge of criticism forced the Harvard journal involved to delay the article’s print publication.
Japan has given apologies over comfort women in the past and made agreements with South Korea over its wartime atrocities. But Tokyo has not adequately addressed the victims directly, say advocates.
South Korean courts in January ordered Japan to pay 12 surviving comfort women 90,000 dollars each - a ruling Tokyo says it cannot accept.
For South Korea and Japan to find common ground regarding comfort women may prove a difficult task as Tokyo views the matter resolved. A broader concern may be how the rift will affect other areas of South Korea - Japan relations - trade, future tourism, and their trilateral alliance with the United States.
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