Osaka cuts sister city ties with San Francisco over comfort women statue

[sergel]

A friend of mine living in SF but funnily enough in Osaka on vacation posted this on their feed today. It sparked a surprisingly interesting and civil discussion, but it was only 1 article so i looked for a couple more.
 
 


Japanese mayor cuts ties between SF and Osaka over comfort women statue



Oct. 3, 2018 

Updated: Oct. 3, 2018 4 p.m.




1of 5The “Column of Strength†statue honoring World War II comfort women in San Francisco’s St. Mary’s Square.Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images[/size]


2of 5Former "comfort woman" Grandma Yong-soo Lee reaches out to touch a section of the Comfort Women Memorial statue after it's unveiled at St. Mary's Square park in Chinatown in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. During World War II, thousands of women were captured and used as sex slaves by the Japanese military.Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle[/size]


3of 5Dignitaries unveil the Comfort Women Memorial statue to honor comfort women from World War II at St. Mary's Square park in Chinatown in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. During the war, thousands of women were captured and used as sex slaves by the Japanese military.Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle[/size]


4of 5FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, people move in to take a closer look at the "Comfort Women" monument after it was unveiled in San Francisco. The mayor of Osaka, Japan says he is withdrawing his city from a six-decade "sister-city" relationship with San Francisco to protest a statue honoring women forced into working in Photo: Eric Risberg, Associated Press[/size]


5of 5SAN FRANCISCO, CA - NOVEMBER 01: The statue "Comfort Women" Column of Strength by artist Steven Whyte is displayed at St. Mary's Square on November 1, 2017 in San Francisco, California. A statue in a San Francisco park depicting Japanese World War II era sex slaves called "Comfort Women" has angered Japanese officials who want to sever the Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images[/size]


 

It’s been threatened for nearly two years — now it’s official.

Sort of.

The mayor of Osaka, Japan, sent a letter to Mayor London Breed this week saying his longtime threat of ending the sister city relationship between Osaka and San Francisco is now reality. The relationship, he wrote, is severed.

At issue is the “Column of Strength†statue in St. Mary’s Square that honors â€œcomfort women,†the name given to the estimated 200,000 women from China, Korea and the Philippines forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.

Many officials in Japan say the number of comfort women and the severity of their treatment is exaggerated. They also say their country shouldn’t be singled out for wartime atrocities when so many countries have committed terrible acts of war.

Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura asked the late Mayor Ed Lee and then Breed to remove the statue from public land or risk severing the sister-city relationship. Both declined.

“The very relationship of trust between our cities, which was constructed over years of friendly exchanges, has ended up declining significantly,†Yoshimura wrote. “I have arrived at the conclusion that the continuation of the sister city relations is no longer possible.â€
 
Lillian Sing, a former San Francisco Superior Court Judge who helped spearhead the comfort women statue, condemned Yoshimura’s decision.

“We’re very saddened by his actions,†she said. “It provides no leadership and no vision for the future except for his continued denial of history.â€

Jeff Cretan, spokesman for Breed, said the sister city relationship isn’t one between two mayors, but between two groups of citizens. And that won’t change.

“The mayor is disappointed Mayor Yoshimura doesn’t want to maintain ties between our governments, but we’re committed to our sister city relationship that will continue between our San Francisco and Osaka sister city committees,†he said. “We want them to continue to maintain that relationship.â€
 
And for the record, Cretan added, the statue isn’t going anywhere.

 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/Japanese-mayor-cuts-ties-between-SF-and-Osaka-13279584.php

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO

The mayor of Osaka says he's ending a six-decade sister city relationship with San Francisco to protest a statue honoring women forced to have sex with Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura this week sent a letter to San Francisco announcing he's withdrawing from the largely ceremonial relationship, the San Francisco Examiner reported Wednesday.

The statue was erected on city property last year by California's Korean, Chinese and Filipino communities.

Jeff Cretan, a spokesman for San Francisco Mayor London Breed, called Yoshimura's decision unfortunate and says the cities will remain connected through "people-to-people ties."

The Japanese Consulate in San Francisco declined to comment.

"Breaking the relationship over a memorial is outrageous and absurd," said Lillian Sing, co-chair of the Comfort Women Justice Coalition. "It shows how afraid the Osaka mayor and Japanese prime minister are of truth and are trying to deny history."

Historians say tens of thousands of women around Asia were sent to work in Japanese military brothels, often through coercion and deception. Japan apologized in 1993 but the issue has remained an open rift with its neighbors, particularly South Korea which has strong memories of Japan's colonization from 1910 to 1945.

After a gradual pullback from the apology, Japan's government now denies that the women, called "comfort women" in Japanese, were forced into sexual slavery, citing a lack of official documentary proof, and says the statue in San Francisco and similar statues built in various countries wrongfully blame Japan.

https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Osaka-cuts-sister-city-ties-with-San-Francisco-over-%27comfort-women%27-statue

 

Osaka ends six-decade sister-city ties with San Francisco over ‘comfort women’ statue

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – The mayor of Osaka says he’s ending a six-decade “sister city†relationship with San Francisco to protest a statue honoring women forced to have sex with wartime Japanese soldiers.

The San Francisco Examiner reports that Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura this week sent a letter to San Francisco announcing he’s withdrawing from the largely ceremonial relationship.

The statue was erected on city property last year by California’s Korean, Chinese and Filipino communities.

Jeff Cretan, a spokesman for San Francisco Mayor London Breed, called Yoshimura’s decision “unfortunate†and says the cities will remain connected through “people-to-people ties.â€

Historians say tens of thousands of so-called comfort women around Asia were forced to work in brothels for Japanese troops. It remains an open rift between Japan and other parts of Asia.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/10/04/national/osaka-ends-six-decade-sister-city-ties-san-francisco-comfort-women-statue/#.W7VcEehKiwc

[Grape Soda]

Japan singled themselves out cutting ties and making excuses for their ancestors. They only care about how the statue is making their country look instead the point which is honoring those girls. Which is making you look worse.

The statue is beautiful. I like how they are wearing the attire for their country.

[mochichan]

Japan stop this shit.

Be like Germany

[Saint Rose]

OH: "Koreans gotta get over it!111 Japan fuck my country too111"

 

Question: How can a country heal and "move on" when the aggressors are constantly trying to shit on any type of remembrance, constantly trying to discredit or downplay it??? Germany fucked up, but guess what Germany's officials not doing? Cutting City ties over holocaust statues/monuments. Gross. Japan barely educate young people on their fuck ups in text books, they sweep that shit under the rug and pull stunts like this and ya'll wonder where this anger for Japanese(mostly toward right-wing associations) shit is coming from some Koreans lmao

[⚬ PINK MASERATI ⚬]

OH: "Koreans gotta get over it!111 Japan fuck my country too111"

 

Question: How can a country heal and "move on" when the aggressors are constantly trying to shit on any type of remembrance/ constantly trying to discredit or downplay it??? Germany fucked up, but guess what Germany's officials not doing? Cutting City ties over holocaust statues/monuments. Gross. Japan barely educate young people on their fuck ups in text books, they sweep that shit on the under the rug and pull stunts like this and ya'll wonder where this anger for Japanese(mostly toward right-wing associations) shit is coming from some Koreans lmao

I agree.

 

Japan isn't just ignoring all those that were hurt, they're actively trying to cover up their fuck ups. This is WRONG.

[MinzyAlbum2k19]

what i don't understand is why japan continues to ignore this, not make amends, they don't try to own up to it, they don't try to hold themselves accountable, and they continue to use imperialist symbols and propaganda in their entertainment and public industries...

when other countries do stuff like this in support of victims, japan does shit like this, like they're clearly not even just denying their history....it's not even history at this point because it just sounds like they still believe it should be the way it was

 

 

OH: "Koreans gotta get over it!111 Japan fuck my country too111"

 

Question: How can a country heal and "move on" when the aggressors are constantly trying to shit on any type of remembrance/ constantly trying to discredit or downplay it??? Germany fucked up, but guess what Germany's officials not doing? Cutting City ties over holocaust statues/monuments. Gross. Japan barely educate young people on their fuck ups in text books, they sweep that shit on the under the rug and pull stunts like this and ya'll wonder where this anger for Japanese(mostly toward right-wing associations) shit is coming from some Koreans lmao

THIS^^^

[Bad Boy]

Japan is gross for not acknowledging and apologising for their atrocities during WII. Comfort women are one of many large stains Japan has on its history.

 

With that said, why does San Fran have a memorial for comfort women?

 

Like... what do they have to do with it?

 

I can see why Japan would cut ties if they’re sticking their noses in other countries’ business.

[anxiety]

With that said, why does San Fran have a memorial for comfort women?

 

Like... what do they have to do with it?

 

I can see why Japan would cut ties if they’re sticking their noses in other countries’ business.

Literally what San Fran has one of the highest Korean Phillipino and Chinese populations in the US. Even besides that they're allowed to commemorate people even if it didn't happen to them specifically. 

[timpa]

The artist did an exceptional job on that statue.

[blahblahblahblah]

 

what i don't understand is why japan continues to ignore this, not make amends, they don't try to own up to it, they don't try to hold themselves accountable, and they continue to use imperialist symbols and propaganda in their entertainment and public industries...

when other countries do stuff like this in support of victims, japan does shit like this, like they're clearly not even just denying their history....it's not even history at this point because it just sounds like they still believe it should be the way it was

 

 

THIS^^^

 

 

Because the comfort women issue IS propaganda.  All you have to do is spend some time researching on the issue. 

 

 

 

http://scholarsinenglish.blogspot.com/

 

 

"The Comfort Women" by Professor C. Sarah Soh

 

Professor Chunghee Sarah Soh was born in South Korea and graduated from Sogang University. She then moved to the United States and received her Ph.D. in anthropology from University of Hawaii. She is a professor of anthropology at San Francisco State University.

 

 

Professor Chunghee Sarah Soh's book "The Comfort Women" is available on Amazon: http://goo.gl/fHi1Cp

 

Here is a Wikipedia article on this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comfort_Women

 

You can read the first part of her book on Google Books: https://goo.gl/EfnGVX

 

Here is an excellent review of the book: http://goo.gl/cwda3E

 

In this book Professor Soh accuses the pro-North activist group "Korean Council" (also known as Chong Dae Hyup 정대협 挺対å”) for spreading the North Korean propaganda to block reconciliation between Japan and South Korea. Contrary to common belief, most Korean women were sold by their parents to Korean businessmen who owned and operated comfort stations. The Korean women were not the sex slaves of the Japanese military. Professor Soh insists that Korean society must repudiate victimization, admit its complicity and accept that the system was not criminal.

 

The following is an excerpt from her book "The Comfort Women." (Pages 10 - 11)

 

 

 

 

 

In an interview with Professor Chunghee Sarah Soh of San Francisco State University, a former Korean comfort woman Kim Sun-ok said that she was sold by her parents four times.

 

Yet she testified before UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy that she was abducted by the Japanese military.

 

 

 

 

A former Korean comfort woman Mun Oku-chu said in her memoir:

 

"I was recruited by a Korean comfort station owner. I saved a considerable amount of money from tips, so I opened a saving account. I could not believe that I could have so much money in my saving account. One of my friends collected many jewels, so I went and bought a diamond.  I often went to see Japanese movies and Kabuki plays in which players came from the mainland Japan. I became a popular woman in Rangoon. There were a lot more officers in Rangoon than near the frontlines, so I was invited to many parties. I sang songs at parties and received lots of tips. I put on a pair of high heels, a green coat and carried an alligator leather handbag. I swaggered about in a fashionable dress. No one in town could guess that I was a comfort woman. I felt very happy and proud. I received permission to return home, but I didn't want to go back to Korea. I wanted to stay in Rangoon."

 

According to Professor Ahn Byong Jik of Seoul University, Mun Oku-chu continued to work as a prostitute in Korea after the war.

 

Yet she testified before UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy that she was abducted by the Japanese military.

 

 

 

 

In an interview with Korean newspaper The Hankyoreh (the artcile was published on May 15th, 1991)  a former Korean comfort woman Kim Hak-sun said that she was sold by her mother.

 

In 1993 Kim Hak-sun told Professor Ahn Byong Jik of Seoul University, "My mother sent me to train as a Geisha (Kiseng ê¸°ìƒ) in Pyongyang and then sold me."

 

Yet she testified before UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy that she was abducted by the Japanese military.

 

 

 

 

In 1993 a former Korean comfort woman Kim Gun-ja told Professor Ahn Byong Jik of Seoul University, "I was sold by my foster father."

 

Yet she testified before UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy that she was abducted by the Japanese military.

 

Kim Gun-ja also testified before United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2007 and said she was abducted by the Japanese military.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1993 a former Korean comfort woman Lee Yong-soo told Professor Ahn Byong Jik of Seoul University, "At the time I was shabbily dressed and wretched. On the day I left home with my friend Kim Pun-sun without telling my mother, I was wearing a black skirt, a cotton shirt and wooden clogs on my feet. You don't know how pleased I was when I received a red dress and a pair of leather shoes from a Korean recruiter."

 

Yet she testified before UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy that she was abducted by the Japanese military.

 

Lee Yong-soo also testified before United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2007. She was told that she had five minutes to speak. She ignored the instruction and went on for over one hour putting on a performance of crying and screaming. Her false testimony resulted in the passage of United States House of Representatives House Resolution 121.

 

In 2017 Lee Yong-soo gave false testimonies before San Francisco City Council, which resulted in the erection of a comfort women statue in that city.

 

 

 

 

 

According to Professor Chunghee Sarah Soh of San Francisco State University, a former Korean comfort woman Moon Pil-ki was recruited by a Korean comfort station owner's agent and taken to Manchuria with four other women.

 

Yet she testified before UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy that she was abducted by the Japanese military.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1993 a former Korean comfort woman Kil Won-ok told Professor Ahn Byong Jik of Seoul University, "I was sold by my parents."

 

Yet she testified before UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy that she was abducted by the Japanese military.

 

 

 

 

 

According to several witnesses, Chong Dae Hyup (pro-North activist group) coached women to say "I was abducted by the Japanese military."

 

Professor Ahn Byong Jik of Seoul University says, "When I interviewed former comfort women in the early 1990s, none of them had anything bad to say about the Japanese military. They hated their parents who sold them and Korean comfort station owners who mistreated them. But after Chong Dae Hyup put them on its payroll, their testimonies had completely changed."

 

 

 

 

 

A former Korean comfort woman Sim Mi-ja who refused to be on Chong Dae Hyup's payroll said, "The Korean women, who testified before UN Special Rapporteur, lied on behalf of Chong Dae Hyup. They are swindlers"

 

 

 

 

 

In an interview with Professor Park Yuha of Sejong University in South Korea, a former Korean comfort woman Bae Chun-hee said she hated her father who sold her. She said that men who recruited Korean women and operated comfort stations were all Korean, and that Korean women who testified before UN Special Rapporteur lied on behalf of Chong Dae Hyup.

 

 

 

 

 

Former Korean Comfort Woman Mun Oku-chu's Memoir

 

The following is an English transaltion of excerpts from a former Korean comfort woman Mun Oku-chu's memoir:

 

( You can buy the original book here: http://www.kyobobook.co.kr/product/detailViewKor.laf?ejkGb=KOR&mallGb=KOR&barcode=9788991066106&orderClick=LAA )

 

 

"Myself as a comfort woman for Tate Division deployed in Burma" by Mun Oku-chu

 

(In Mandalay, Burma)

Page 63

The soldiers and we had the same thoughts, that is, we must work hard for our emperor. The soldiers gave up their wives, children and their own lives. Knowing how they felt, I did my best to solace them by having conversation with them.

 

Page 68

I prayed for safety of Ichiro Yamada. After two or three of months, the troop unit to which Yamada belonged returned from the front. Yamada returned in good health. He immediately came to the comfort station. He said "I, private first class soldier Yamada, have just come back from the front." Yamada gave a salute to me. We hugged in full of joy. Such a day was so special that the comfort station owner Matsumoto (a Korean from Daegu) closed business for the day. The comfort station was full of excitement, and we, comfort women, contributed 1 yen per woman to hold a big party for them.

 

Page 75

I saved a considerable amount of money from tips. So I asked a clerical staff whether or not I could have a saving account and put the money in the account. His reply was positive. I knew that all the soldiers put their earnings in the saving accounts in the field post office, so I decided to put my money in the saving account. I asked a soldier to make a personal seal and put 500 yen in the account. I got my savings passbook and found 500 yen written on the passbook. I became the owner of the savings passbook for the first time in my life. I worked in Daegu as a nanny and a street seller from the childhood but I remained poor no matter how hard I worked. I could not believe that I could have so much money in my saving account. A house in Daegu cost 1,000 yen at the time. I could let my mother have an easy life. I felt very happy and proud. The savings passbook became my treasure.

 

Page 98

Ichiro Yamada came to see me once a week and I was in a great mood on that day from the morning. But if he did not show up on his once a week holiday, I became so worried wondering if he was killed by the enemy that I could not work properly. He made me worry so much.

 

(In Rangoon, Burma)

Page 106~107

I was able to have more freedom in Rangoon than before. Of course, not completely free but I could go out once a week or twice a month with permission from the Korean owner. It was fun to go shopping by rickshaw. I can't forget the experience of shopping in a market in Rangoon. There were lots of jewelry shops because many jewels were produced in Burma, and ruby and jade were not expensive. One of my friends collected many jewels. I thought I should have a jewel myself, so I went and bought a diamond.

 

Page 107

I often went to see Japanese movies and Kabuki plays in which players came from the mainland Japan. I enjoyed watching players change costumes many times and male players portray women’s roles. I became a popular woman in Rangoon. There were a lot more officers in Rangoon than near the frontlines, so I was invited to many parties. I sang songs at parties and received lots of tips.

 

(In Saigon, Vietnam)

Page 115~118

It was finally time to return home. I went to Saigon via Thailand. The ship was to depart from Saigon. Then Tsubame said "I had a nightmare in the morning about my mother vomiting blood. I am afraid that something unlucky will happen, so I will not return to Korea." Hiroko, Kifa and Hifumi agreed with Tsubame saying "We will not go back to Korea, either."

 

Page 120

When I went to a cabaret where Japanese military men hung out, navy pilots were there. Some of them asked me "Why are you still here?" I replied "I am still here because I don’t want to go home. I want to go back to Rangoon."

 

Page 121

I put on a pair of high heels, a green coat and carried an alligator leather handbag. I swaggered about in a fashionable dress. No one could guess that I was a comfort woman. I felt so happy and proud.

 

(Back In Rangoon)

Page 123

A military man came on a bicycle and asked me "Hi Yoshiko, can you ride a bicycle?" I replied "No, I can’t." He asked "Would you like to learn how to ride?" I learned with pleasure. I rode it smoothly through the town of Rangoon. I didn't see any other women on bicycles. People on the street looked back at me. It was fun for me to go to the town of Rangoon. I talked with people in Burmese, Japanese and Korean. I had no difficulty communicating when I shopped.

 

Page 126

I killed a non-commissioned officer who was drunk and held the sword against me. I won acquittal as legitimate self-defense, and many military men were pleased with that court decision.

 

Page 137

I withdrew 5,000 yen from my saving account and sent it to my mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following is the order the Japanese military sent to comfort station operators. It says "Do not recruit women against thier will. Only recruit willing prostitutes."Professor Yoshiaki Yoshimi (a well known communist and with close ties to North Korea) misrepresented this document as proof that the Japanese military coerced Korean women. Confronted by other scholars, Mr. Yoshimi admitted to the Japanese media that he was wrong, but he never did so to Western media. The New York Times in its 2007 article used his initial statement as proof that the Japanese military coerced Korean women. Many scholars have demanded NYT to retract the article, but NYT has refused to do so claiming it wasn't their fault Yoshimi misrepresented.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Korean Newspaper Reports from 1930's

 

 

                                                 

 

 

1939.03.28 ë™ì•„ì¼ë³´

50ì—¬ 처녀가 ì¡°ì„ ì¸ ì¸ì‹ ë§¤ë§¤ë‹¨ì— 걸려서 ë¶ì§€, ë§Œì£¼ì— ì°½ê¸°ë¡œ 팔림.

ì¼ë³¸ê²½ì°°ì´ 구해줌. 

March 28, 1939 Donga Ilbo

Over 50 women were deceived by a Korean trafficker (Bae Jang-eon 배장언)

 and sent to Northern China & Manchuria.

He was arrested and the women were rescued by Japanese policemen.

 

 

 

 

1933.06.30 ë™ì•„ì¼ë³´

ë…¸ìƒì—ì„œ 소녀를 유ì¸í•˜ì—¬ 납치,

추업중ì¸(매춘í¬ì£¼)ì—게 매ë„. ë²”ì¸ì€ 박명ë™ê³¼ ì´ì„±ë…€

June 30, 1933 Donga Ilbo

A girl was kidnapped from the street by

Korean traffickers (Park Myeong-dong & Lee Seong-nyeo)

 

 

 

 

1936.05.14 매ì¼ì‹ ë³´

ë†ì´Œë¶€ë…€ìœ ì¸ ì•…í•œì„ ê²€ê±°.

ì—¬ìžë¥¼ ë§Œì£¼ì— ì°½ê¸°ë¡œ íŒ”ë ¤ë˜ ê²ƒì„ ì¼ë³¸ê²½ì°°ì´ 검거해서 ì—¬ì„±ì„ êµ¬ì¶œí•¨.

ë„¤ëª…ì˜ ì—¬ìžê°€ 마수를 벗어남.

May 14, 1936 Maeil Shinbo

Traffickers (Korean comfort station owners' agents) were arrested

by police for deceiving women from farming villages.

Four women were rescued.

 

 

 

 

1939.08.31 ë™ì•„ì¼ë³´

ì•…ë•ì†Œê°œì—…ìžê°€ 발호, 

ì´ë“¤ì´ 유괴한 ë†ì´Œë¶€ë…€ìžì˜ 수가 무려 100명 ì´ìƒ.

ëª¨ë‘ ì¼ë³¸ê²½ì°°ë‹˜ë“¤ì´ 구출해내심. 

August 31, 1939 Donga Ilbo 

Over 100 women from farming villages were deceived

by Korean traffickers (Kim Ok-man 김옥만 & his family) 

They were arrested and the women were rescued by Japanese policemen.

 

 

 

1936.07.09 매ì¼ì‹ ë³´

처녀를 유ì¸í•˜ì—¬ 추업(매춘)ì„ ê°•ì œí•œ í–‰ìƒë§ˆë…€ì˜ 죄ìƒ. 

ë²”ì¸ì€ 황금정, 박금í¬, ì´ë•ìˆœ ì´ë¼ëŠ” ì¡°ì„ ë…€ 3ì¸. 

순진한 ê°€ì •ë¶€ë…€ë“¤ì„ ìœ ì¸í•´ì„œ 중국ì¸ì—게 ë§¤ì¶˜ì„ ê°•ìš”í•¨. 

ì¼ë³¸ê²½ì°°ì´ 검거하여 í”¼í•´ì—¬ì„±ë“¤ì„ êµ¬ì¶œ. 

July 9, 1936 Maeil Shinbo

   Three Korean traffickers (Hwang Geum-jeong, Park Geum-hee & Lee Deok-sun)

were arrested for deceiving innocent girls.

 

 

 

 

 

1935.03.07 ë™ì•„ì¼ë³´

중국 ìƒí•´ ì•”í‘êµ´ì— ì¡°ì„ ì—¬ì„± 2천여명. ì´ë“¤ ì›ì •ë…€ë“¤ ë•Œë¬¸ì— ì¡°ì„ ì¸ì˜ ì²´ë©´ì´ ì†ìƒë¨. 

그녀들옠참담한 ìƒí™œì—ë„ ë¶ˆêµ¬í•˜ê³  ëŒ€ì±…ì´ ë§‰ì—°. 

왜ëƒí•˜ë©´ ê²½ì œì  ë¬¸ì œë¡œ ì¸í•œ ìžë°œì ì¸ 근로ë¼ì„œ ëŒ€ì±…ì„ ì„¸ìš¸ 수 ì—†ìŒì„ 안타까워하는 ë‚´ìš©.

March 7, 1935 Donga Ilbo

About 2,000 Korean women work in the Shanghai slum.

These prostitutes tarnish our reputation.

But we can't stop them because they voluntarily stay there for economic reasons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1933.07.01 ë™ì•„ì¼ë³´

소녀유ì¸ë‹¨ì˜ 수괴 ì€ë½•ì–´ë©ˆ.

주로 어린 ì†Œë…€ë“¤ì„ ê¾€ì–´ë‹¤ê°€ 매ìŒêµ´ì— 팔아 ë¨¹ë˜ ì•…ë…€ì˜€ëŠ”ë°,

ì¼ë³¸ê²½ì°°ì´ 검거함.

July 1, 1933 Donga Ilbo

A leader of the Korean group that trafficked girls to

Korean comfort station owners was arrested last night.

 

 

 

 

1936.02.14 매ì¼ì‹ ë³´

ì¡°ì„ ì¸ë“¤ì´ ì—¬ìž ìœ ì¸í•´ì„œ 창기로 팔아 먹는걸 

ì¼ë³¸ê²½ì°°ì´ 발견하고 검거함. 

February 14, 1936 Maeil Shinbo

Korean traffickers who deceived and sold women

 to Korean comfort station owners were arrested by police.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1939.03.28 매ì¼ì‹ ë³´

ë†ì´Œì²˜ë…€ 유ì¸í•´ì„œ 100 ì—¬ëª…ì„ íŒ”ì•„ë¨¹ìŒ.

부ìžì™€ 4ì´Œì´ ê°€ì¡±ì¹œì§€ ì¡°ì„ ì¸ ë‚©ì¹˜ë‹¨ìž„.

ì´ê±¸ ì¼ë³¸ê²½ì°°ì´ 검거해서 ì—¬ì„±ë“¤ì„ êµ¬í•´ì¤Œ.

March 28, 1939 Maeil Shinbo

A group of Korean traffickers deceived and sold

over 100 women from farming villages.

The women were rescued by Japanese policemen.

 

 

 

 

 

 October 27, 1944 Maeil Shinbo

Comfort women wanted ad by a Korean comfort station owner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Comfort Women of the Empire" by Professor Park Yuha

 

"Comfort Women of the Empire" was written by Professor Park Yuha of Sejong University in South Korea. Please also refer to the New York Times article about this book: http://goo.gl/tKcbxg　 The book was banned from publishing in South Korea. Professor Park is also being sued for defamation by anti-Japanese activist groups and receives death threats from time to time. In South Korea the government often uses civic groups to hunt down people who speak out the inconvenient truth. It is now very difficult for Professor Park to publish anything in South Korea without being persecuted, but her books can be purchased in other Asian countries.

 

 

“I first confronted the comfort women issue in 1991. It was near the end of my study in Japan. As a volunteer I was translating former Korean comfort women's testimonies for NHK. When I returned to South Korea, the nationalism was out of control. The anti-Japanese activist group "Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery" (also known as Chong Dae Hyup ì •ëŒ€í˜‘ 挺対å”) was formed by the South Korean communists. Its leader said publicly it was determined to defame Japan for the next 200 years. Its propaganda turned me off, so I stayed away from this issue for years. I regained my interest in this issue in the early 2000s when I heard that Chong Dae Hyup was confining surviving women in a nursing home called House of Nanumu. The only time these women were allowed to talk to outsiders was when Chong Dae Hyup needed them to testify for the UN Special Rapporteur or the U.S. politicians. But for some reason I was allowed to talk to them one day in 2003. I could sense that women were not happy being confined in this place. One of the women (Bae Chun-hee) told me she reminisced the romance she had with a Japanese soldier. She said she hated her father who sold her. She also told me that women there didn't appreciate being coached by Chong Dae Hyup to give false testimonies but had to obey Chong Dae Hyup's order. When Japan offered compensation through Asian Women's Fund in 1995, 61 former Korean comfort women defied Chong Dae Hyup's order and accepted compensation. Those 61 women were vilified as traitors. Their names and addresses were published in newspapers as prostitutes, and they had to live the rest of their lives in disgrace. So the rest of the women were terrified of Chong Dae Hyup and wouldn't dare to defy again. Chong Dae Hyup (some of its members were arrested as North Korean spies) has used the comfort women issue for its political purpose, which is to drive a wedge into U.S.-Japan-South Korea security partnership.â€

 

 

Comfort stations

 

In wars, soldiers sometimes rape innocent women. To prevent this from happening, the Japanese military used existing brothels in Manchuria as comfort stations in the early 1930s. As it advanced into China and Southeast Asia, more comfort stations were needed. So the brothel operators recruited women and operated comfort stations in order to meet the increased demand. Japanese brothel operators recruited women in Japan. They owned and operated comfort stations employing Japanese women. Korean brothel operators recruited women in Korea. They owned and operated comfort stations employing Korean women. (See footnote *3, *4)

 

Two types of comfort women

 

There were two types of comfort women. (1) Japanese and Korean women (both Japanese citizens)  They constituted over 95% of comfort women. They were not coerced by the Japanese military. They were recruited by brothel operators. (2) Local women in the battlefields (Dutch women in Indonesia, Filipino women in the Philippines, etc.)  They constituted less than 5% of comfort women. Dozens of them were coerced by the Japanese soldiers in violation of Japanese military rules. The Japanese soldiers who coerced local women were tried and some executed.

 

These two types should have been identified differently. But when the comfort women became an issue in the early 1990s, all women who provided sex to the Japanese military were identified uniformly, and that created a big confusion.

 

The myth "Korean comfort women were coerced by the Japanese military"

 

The Korean woman who first claimed this in the early 1990s belonged to Chongsindae during the war. Chongsindae (also called Teishintai in Japanese) was a group of women conscripted by the Japanese military. They worked in factories to manufacture military equipment and uniforms. Since she was conscripted, she thought comfort women were also conscripted. It wasn't that she fabricated the story. It was an innocent mistake on her part. None of the initial testimonies of former Korean comfort women claimed they were coerced by the Japanese military. The majority of the Korean women were sold by their fathers to Korean comfort station owners. Some Korean women were deceived by Korean comfort station owners' agents. Other Korean women were in the world's oldest profession, and they did volunteer to earn good money.

 

The myth "There were 200,000 comfort women"

 

Two hundred thousand was the number of factory workers conscripted. About 150,000 of them were Japanese and 50,000 were Korean. Common misunderstanding in the West "There were 200,000 comfort women" arose because Asahi Shimbun mistook factory workers for comfort women in its August 11th, 1991 article, which inflated the number. The estimates of comfort women numbers vary from 5,000 to 20,000 depending on the historians.

 

The Japanese soldiers and Korean comfort women

 

Korean comfort women typically made about 750 yen a month plus tips. (A house in Korea cost 1000 yen at the time)  Some also sang at parties to earn generous tips. Women attended sports events, picnics and social dinners with both officers and men. They were also allowed to go shopping in towns. Romances between Korean comfort women and Japanese soldiers were common, and there were numerous instances of proposals of marriage and in certain cases marriages actually took place.

 

Korean comfort station owners

 

The Japanese military sent notices (See footnote *7) to comfort station operators prohibiting them to recruit women against their will. The Japanese comfort station operators followed the order and only recruited willing women in Japan, but the Korean operators didn't follow the order and recruited both willing prostitutes and unwilling women in Korea. If the Korean operators had followed the order, there wouldn't have been any comfort women issue.

 

Many of Korean comfort women's fathers had debts from alcohol, gambling, etc. and sold their daughters without daughters' consent. The Korean comfort station owners took over their debts, and depending on the amount of the debt, each woman's contract length was determined. Korean women were not allowed to leave until their debts were paid off. Any coercion, violence or confinement was exercised by the Korean owners. So if one wants to use the term "sex slaves" to describe former Korean comfort women, they were the sex slaves of Korean comfort station owners. They were not the sex slaves of the Japanese military. The Japanese military's involvement was limited to conducting sexually transmitted disease checkups and providing transportation to comfort station owners and comfort women. (Note: The Japanese government recognized its military's involvement, not coercion, in the 2015 agreement. http://goo.gl/pq5l2s)

 

A diary written by a Korean comfort station manager was discovered in 2013 (See footnote *3), and it makes it clear that Korean businessmen not only recruited Korean women but also owned and operated comfort stations. The diary contains the detailed account of Korean owners wire transferring huge profit they made from operating comfort stations. The common perception in the West that the Japanese military operated comfort stations is incorrect.

 

Japan-South Korea Treaty of 1965

 

During treaty negotiations, the Japanese government asked the South Korean government to identify and separate individual claims from the treaty because the Japanese government wanted to make sure the victims received compensation. The South Korean government declined and accepted the entire sum of 800 million dollars (over ten billion dollars in today's money) in place of its citizens and spent all of it on infrastructures. Therefore it is not reasonable for the South Korean government to keep asking for additional compensation from Japan.　(Note: Korean victims recently sued the South Korean government claiming part of the 800 million dollars was meant for them)

 

Kono Statement in 1993

 

Kono Statement acknowledged that some Korean comfort women were coerced. But it did not acknowledge that the Japanese military coerced them. Some may ask why it was necessary for the Japanese government to apologize via Kono Statement if Korean women were coerced by the Korean operators. Well, the Japanese military's invasion into China and Southeast Asia did create the demand for comfort women. So Japan bears part of the responsibility for women's suffering although its military did not coerce Korean women nor operate comfort stations.

 

Asian Women's Fund

 

Asian Women's Fund was established by the Japanese government in 1995. (Compensation came with a personal letter of apology from Prime Minister of Japan)  As for Korean women, although they were not coerced by the Japanese military and all individual claims were settled in the 1965 Japan-South Korea Treaty, the Japanese government still offered Asian Women's Fund to Korean women as a good gesture. Ironically every nation involved except South Korea accepted compensation through Asian Women's Fund and reconciled with Japan.  (Note: The South Korean government and Korean women wanted to accept Asian Women's Fund as well, but the anti-Japanese activist group Chong Dae Hyup threatened Korean women not to accept Japan's apology and compensation so that it could continue its anti-Japanese propaganda campaign. So most Korean women could not accept Japan's apology and compensation.)

 

Why has it been so difficult to resolve this issue only with South Korea?

 

Chong Dae Hyup (정대협 挺対å”) opposed Asian Women's Fund claiming it wasn't the legal apology and compensation. But considering all individual claims were settled in the 1965 Japan-South Korea Treaty, Asian Women's Fund was the best the Japanese government could do. Chong Dae Hyup has had a very close relationship with North Korea. Its members including the leader's husband were arrested as North Korean spies. The real reason Chong Dae Hyup opposed Asian Women's Fund was because it wanted to use the comfort women issue to block reconciliation between Japan and South Korea. Chong Dae Hyup has hosted Wednesday protests every week in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul since 1992.

 

The relationship between the anti-Japanese activist group Chong Dae Hyup (Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery) and North Korea:

 

Yun Mi-Hyang (Chairwoman) was investigated for working with North Korea in 2013.

Kim Sam-Suk (Yun Mi-Hyang's husband) was arrested as a North Korean spy in 1993.

Kim Eun-Ju (Kim Sam-Suk's sister) was arrested as a North Korean spy in 1993.

Choi Gi-Yong (Kim Eun-Ju's husband) was arrested as a North Korean spy in 2006.

Lee Seok-Gi (member) was arrested as a North Korean spy in 2013.

 

World's view

 

Instead of reconciling with Japan by accepting Japan's apology and compensation, Chong Dae Hyup and its U.S. affiliates have appealed to the world by dragging former Korean comfort women (now in their 90's) around the world as exhibitions. UN reports such as Coomaraswamy Report and U.S. House Resolution 121 were issued based solely on materials provided by the activists with close ties to North Korea. (False testimonies of women who were coached by Chong Dae Hyup. Reference)  Most Western media and scholars fell for activists' propaganda and believe "200,000 Korean women were coercively taken away by the Japanese military." Obviously this world's view is not based on fact. The Japanese soldiers did coerce dozens of Dutch and Filipino women in the battlefields of Indonesia and the Philippines. But the Korean women were not coerced by the Japanese military because the Korean Peninsula was not the battlefield and therefore very few Japanese soldiers were left in Korea and the majority of policemen were Korean. Japan apologized and compensated, and Netherlands, Indonesia and the Philippines had all accepted Japan's apology and reconciled with Japan. So there are no comfort women issues between those nations and Japan. The comfort women issue remains only with South Korea because Chong Dae Hyup refuses to reconcile with Japan and continues to spread the false claim -- 200,000 Korean women were coerced by the Japanese military -- throughout the world. Chong Dae Hyup is a very powerful activist group in South Korea, and Korean politicians are scared to death to defy it. But South Korean government must somehow distance itself from Chong Dae Hyup if this issue is to be resolved. After all, Chong Dae Hyup has no interest in the welfare of former Korean comfort women. Its goal is to discredit Japan and to block reconciliation between Japan and South Korea.

 

Empires and comfort women

 

Just like the empires were created by European powers and Japan in the past, the United States has military bases all over the world. And wherever the U.S. military bases are located, there are women who provide sex to the U.S. military personnels. There is no doubt that the U.S. military interventions in Vietnam, Iraq and so on had caused suffering to local people especially to women. It is rather ironic that the United States keeps coming up with resolutions to criticize Japan and comfort women statues keep going up in the U.S.  Japan was partly guilty because its imperialism (the Japanese military's invasion into China and Southeast Asia) created the demand for comfort women. But the Korean narrative -- the Japanese military showed up at the doors and abducted young Korean women -- just didn't happen. The Korean businessmen (comfort station owners) capitalized on the demand, recruited Korean women, operated comfort stations and made lots of money. Japan has apologized for its part. South Korea should admit its complicity and stop demanding Japan for more apologies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The photo below is an article in Korean newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun (경향신문 京郷新èž) on June 6, 1977. It says that a Korean comfort station owner trafficked dozens of Korean comfort women to Rabaul, Papua New Guinea to provide sex to Japanese soldiers there during World War II. It was common knowledge in South Korea until the 1970s that Korean comfort station owners recruited Korean women and operated comfort stations, and no South Koreans contested that notion. Then Asahi Shimbun (Japanese newspaper) published a series of fabricated articles in the 1980's falsely accusing Japanese military of abducting Korean comfort women. South Korean communists with close ties to North Korea thought this was a great opportunity to discredit Japan and block reconciliation between Japan and South Korea. So they formed the anti-Japan lobby Chong Dae Hyup in 1990 and began spreading comfort women lies worldwide. Their strategy was to use the case of a small number of Dutch and Filipino women who were coerced by lower ranked Japanese soldiers and make it look like the same thing happened to tens of thousands of Korean women. Since they had no evidence, they coached Korean women to testify falsely.

 

 

The relationship between the anti-Japanese activist group Chong Dae Hyup (Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery) and North Korea.

 

Yun Mi-Hyang (Chairwoman) was investigated for working with North Korea in 2013.

Kim Sam-Suk (Yun Mi-Hyang's husband) was arrested as a North Korean spy in 1993.

Kim Eun-Ju (Kim Sam-Suk's sister) was arrested as a North Korean spy in 1993.

Choi Gi-Yong (Kim Eun-Ju's husband) was arrested as a North Korean spy in 2006.

Lee Seok-Gi (member) was arrested as a North Korean spy in 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The South Korean government established comfort women system for its troops in Vietnam in the 1960s and for the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea in the 1960s & 1970s.

 

http://ameblo.jp/workingkent/entry-12032249233.html

 

http://archive.is/MWO4N

 

A number of comfort women statues have been built in the U.S. as a result of tenacious lobbying by the Korean activists. The activists insist that the statues are for all women whose rights were violated in wars and not meant to be anti-Japanese. However, the statues only accuse the Japanese military and do not mention the South Korean military's atrocities to women.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asahi Shimbun published a series of fabricated articles on comfort women in the 1980s. Based on these articles, the anti-Japanese activist group Chong Dae Hyup was formed by South Korean communists in 1990. Then out of nowhere a woman named Kim Hak-sun came forward in 1991 and claimed she was abducted by the Japanese military. There is clear evidence (recorded tapes) that suggests she was coached by Chong Dae Hyup to give false testimony. If Korean women were indeed abducted by the Japanese military, it is rather odd that not a single woman claimed anything for over 45 years after the end of World War II.  Former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo said in a 1993 interview, "Asahi Shimbun created the comfort women issue out of nothing, provoked Korean nationalism and infuriated Korean

people."

 

"On August 5, 2014, Asahi Shimbun announced that they concluded the testimony of Yoshida as a fabrication. In April and May 2014, the Asahi Shimbun dispatched reporters to Jeju Island and interviewed about 40 elderly residents and concluded that Yoshida’s accounts "are false." Asahi Shimbun retracted all 16 articles based on his testimony in the 1980s and 1990s. The President of Asahi Shimbun later made an apology for the errors and an editor was fired as a result."

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is ironic that 99% of Westerners fell for Chong Dae Hyup's (North Korean) propaganda and believe 200,000 Korean women were coerced by the Japanese military while South Korean scholars such as Professor Park Yuha of Sejong University, Professor Lee Yong-hoon of Seoul University, Professor Ahn Byong-jik of Seoul University, Professor Jun Bong-gwan of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Professor Lee Dae-gun of Sungkyunkwan University, Professor Choi Ki-ho of Kaya University, Professor Oh Seon-hwa of Takushoku University and Professor Chunghee Sarah Soh of San Francisco State University agree that the Japanese military did not coerce Korean women. Only a small number of fanatics with loud voice (South Korean activists with close ties to North Korea and China) falsely claim 200,000 Korean women were coerced by the Japanese military. Westerners must realize that North Korean and Chinese operatives are using the comfort women issue to drive a wedge into U.S.-Japan-South Korea security partnership.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wartime Military Records on Comfort Women

 

(This book also explains the truth about comfort women well.  You should take a look at the reviews to get the idea of the book since it's not free.)

 

The Japanese military is accused of abducting 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, and using them as sex slaves. WWII military records provide a completely different perspective. This is a compilation of primary source documents, mostly WWII military records of U.S., Allied, Dutch, Australian and Japanese reports and documents related to comfort women. It also includes and analysis of a diary of a Korean comfort station operator. It provides a true description of the comfort women system based on primary source documents.

https://www.amazon.com/Wartime-Military-Records-Comfort-Women-ebook/dp/B01NC0KEB4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Japan-Korea: Were Korean Men Cowards during World War II?

 

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelYonFanPage/posts/10152528332430665:0

 

A $30 million US Government Study specifically searched for evidence on Comfort Women allegations.

After nearly seven years with many dozens of staff pouring through US archives -- and 30 million dollars down the drain -- we found a grand total of nothing.

 

The final IWG report to Congress was issued in 2007. (Linked below.)

Nobody should be writing about Comfort Women issues without reading this report cover to cover.

 

Please read the IWG report that practically nobody seems to know exists. If you do not have time for the whole report, do a search inside the report for Comfort Women, and carefully read those parts:

http://www.archives.gov/iwg/reports/final-report-2007.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following recording summarizes the comfort women issue very well.

 

[brume]

Those statues look amazing and really depict and represent the comfort women's emotions.

[Pseudo]

If any German politician complained about Holocaust memorials in other countries, I'm sure they wouldn't get so much sympathy like the Japanese do.

[Huanghe]

When will Japan ever acknowledge their mistakes and what they done in WWII? It's honestly ridiculous at this point. Them wanting to cut ties because of the statue shows how much they want to deny their mistakes and act like comfort women never happened. I hope the statue stays there because comfort women needs to be known to the world. 

[JihyoStoleMyHeartAYAYAY]

Japan singled themselves out cutting ties and making excuses for their ancestors. They only care about how the statue is making their country look instead the point which is honoring those girls. Which is making you look worse.

The statue is beautiful. I like how they are wearing the attire for their country.

[sugarplumfairy]

 

Japan singled themselves out cutting ties and making excuses for their ancestors. They only care about how the statue is making their country look instead the point which is honoring those girls. Which is making you look worse.

The statue is beautiful. I like how they are wearing the attire for their country.

 

[krystalice]

Sad

[sakurahanabira]

When will Japan ever acknowledge their mistakes and what they done in WWII? It's honestly ridiculous at this point. Them wanting to cut ties because of the statue shows how much they want to deny their mistakes and act like comfort women never happened. I hope the statue stays there because comfort women needs to be known to the world. 

 

many politicians have acknowledged and issued apologies for their country's war crimes, but the majority of them, especially those issued by politicians in the LDP, are insincere. 

[Huanghe]

 

many politicians have acknowledged and issued apologies for their country's war crimes, but the majority of them, especially those issued by politicians in the LDP, are insincere. 

Well I do know that some politicians have acknowledged and apologized for it but it doesn't do anything if they don't even publish what they done in the textbooks. Not to mention they have a nationalist prime minister. I would consider them acknowledging it if they don't try to disrespect any comfort women statues, write what they done in their textbooks to have the youth know, and when the nationalists acknowledge the crimes but I don't think it's going to happen. 

[Kami Nana]

Well I do know that some politicians have acknowledged and apologized for it but it doesn't do anything if they don't even publish what they done in the textbooks. Not to mention they have a nationalist prime minister. I would consider them acknowledging it if they don't try to disrespect any comfort women statues, write what they done in their textbooks to have the youth know, and when the nationalists acknowledge the crimes but I don't think it's going to happen. 

But they do. You are aware they have more than one published textbook and not just the controversial revisionist one, right? :/

[Huanghe]

But they do. You are aware they have more than one published textbook and not just the controversial revisionist one, right? :/

I mean they do have one published textbook but still a lot of young Japanese people don't really know the war crimes and if they do, they wouldn't know the extent of the crimes. I'm not hating Japanese people because it's not their fault that the government covers it up but if they are going to pull shit like this then yeah I would assume they aren't going to acknowledge the problem but try to cover it as much as possible. This isn't even the first time that Japanese politicians or nationalists ask to remove a statue. :/ 

[llamaswag]

Ok

Like what the point to cut ties when U.S officials not gonna feel pressure over it. It just make yourself looks bad to the world Japan. If the gov adopted a policy of completely acknowledgement, no one can used against u anymore. To me, their deed not as bad as Germany. Germany literally start WWII and mass murdered of some 17Million ppl randomly over religion, ethnic and hate (not becuz of confrontal between millitary, which is considered a fair game at war). But u know what? the world and most importantly Europe able to forgive them, and now Germany literally one of the most important nation in Europe imo.

 

And to people asking why it should be there, California has huge Asian community so this could be a proposal from community. And WWII is part most of the world history not just about Japan-Korea (and Asians), there also holocaust monument in Boston, Miami etc (and at other countries that didn't have any direct contact with holocaust) to dedicate to them as a remembrance of world history.