Korea’s former “comfort women” are welcoming the passage of a US House of Representatives resolution urging Japan to officially apologize to the victims.
Personally, I have to agree with this editorial in the News Tribune:
The Japanese see the resolution as rubbing more salt in a raw wound. They feel their government has already apologized adequately for the forced prostitution of 60-plus years ago.
That can be debated. But it’s not clear why the United States has any particular standing to be making noise about this issue so long after the fact. The prostitutes in question were not Americans; they were Koreans and other Asians. Those countries and their citizens were owed big apologies, and it’s really up to them to decide whether they got them.
There’s another problem with the House resolution: rank hypocrisy.
Japanese troops weren’t the only ones who used their nation’s coerced prostitutes; there’s evidence that Americans did, too. When U.S. troops occupied Japan after its surrender, the Japanese government operated special brothels for them.
“Sadly, we police had to set up sexual comfort stations for the occupation troops,” reported one police department. The purpose was to “create a breakwater to protect regular women and girls.”
By then, U.S. authorities were well aware of Imperial Japan’s forced prostitution. The Associated Press reported in April that some of those authorities had also learned that women were being coerced into prostituting themselves to the Americans.
That is shameful. The House would do well to stop demanding further apologies from Japan and start doing some apologizing of its own.
If you’re interested, here’s the text of the resolution.
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45 Comments
Hmmm , yes and no.
Comparing the comfort women in Japan and those in Korea seems to be going a bit far. On the day the Japanese found out how they would really be helping Japan deal with the Americans the vast majority of them went straight home. Can the same be said of the Korean comfort women, I wonder…
Quite apart from the childish “you did it too” arguement, the two main points seem to be:
The US actions can achieve nothing postive in Japan, but they don’t care because the effect on their electors at home is the only thing that really matters to them
but
They are right, the Japanese should do more about this and other war responsibility
but
They are not helping
so
I am still very confused on what can be done!
TEFLtastic with Alex Case- http://www.tefl.net/alexcase
This is no business of the US’s. Let Asians duke it out over this and other such issues. The US has no stake in this and is only hurting its alliance with Japan in insisting on passing such measures.
I totally disagree. The US has a huge stake in this because it’s in defense alliances with both Japan and South Korea. The US has a HUGE presence in northeast Asia and it’s in their best interests to try to get their allies to get along.
I doubt that Korea and Japan will sort this out on their own because there is way too much pride and stubborness on both sides. This is a situation where the middleman is needed and, by the way, the function of a middleman to mediate a dispute is something that is common in these types of cultures.
The US/Japan alliance I would argue is stronger than the US/ROK alliance. All will be fine.
“I doubt that Korea and Japan will sort this out on their own…”
They would never be able to do it on their own. An honest broker is needed here, possibly the US can assume this role…
Yes, I agree with ExpatJane that there is no way these two sides will ever agree without some middle man. HOWEVER, the US should not be that middle man, there are international courts for this kind of thing. I would like to see this issue and all others taken to the international court and be decided. I do not expect that Korea would be willing to accept an offer to go to the international courts because Japan has indeed signed treaties with Korea calling this issue to an end. Perhaps now the people of Korea do not think sufficient amends were made, but the fact of the matter is the leaders of that time did, and their signatures are on the treaties, making for a open and closed case. I don’t meant to say anyone is being like the famed Kushibo, but I recall reading one of his comments a long time ago about why Korea should not go to the international courts to solve it’s Dokdo/Takeshima issues; his reasoning being that Japan has all kinds of legal documents to support it’s claims, and Korea doesn’t. In my book, that means Japan’s right — perhaps I’m misunderstanding the way the legal system is supposed to work, ya know, with that pesky evidence, and burden of proof. Oh well.
But even then, would both sides agree to the terms of the international court? Probably not. Which is really why America should just stay out of it. 50 years from now Korea will be pissed that America didn’t force Japan to apologize again and pay more money just like she’s pissed that America didn’t defend her from Japan the first time pointing to another one of those non-binding resolutions.
“HOWEVER, the US should not be that middle man, there are international courts for this kind of thing. I would like to see this issue and all others taken to the international court and be decided.”
Here, despite our previous disagreements, I am wholeheartedly with Peter Pan.
The same goes for the Dokdo/Takeshima issue which needs to be referred to the ICJ in The Hague / Netherlands.
I think on both counts the outcome is open…
And the question whether the US is suitable as the middle man, here and in other disputes, will become apparent over time, I suppose…
Since when does the house deal with foreign policy? The reason its perplexing is that it has nothing to do with Japanese and and Korean relations and everything to do with voting blocks. Korean Americans obviously are becoming a force to reckon with while Japanese Americans are a minority in comparison. No more mystery.
“Since when does the house deal with foreign policy?”
Not sure about the US House of Representatives, but the German “Bundestag” regularly does…
It does seem like a rather arrogant thing for the US to do when you remember that they didn’t join the International Criminal Court under the pretext that doing so would be exposing itself to political attacks.
ExpatJane, I hardly see this resolution as being that of a middleman. It sounds more like a feel-good self-righteous holier-than-thou kick targetted squarely at a good ally. It takes little effort or political will to pass such useless resolutions (similar to the UN), which generally accomplish nothing besides generating ill will in the country targetted. An honest broker is one thing, but a moralistic, self-righteous, preachy ally is something altogether different and usually unwelcome. If anything, the US could work behind the scenes as an honest broker, but laying it all out on the table while embarrassing an ally seems counterproductive to me.
And passing a resolution such as this accomplishs nothing in terms of brokering better relations between allies. Putting a real effort into sitting down with the allies and trying to get them to work things out might possibly accomplish something, but the House isn’t interested in this, as that would require actually doing some hard and productive work. To me, it seems little more than a show of political correctness (though no doubt there are a very few who truly believe this is an important issue).
the house did right. the us let japan off the hook after ww 2. that’s why it’s appropriate.
‘dokto should be referred to the icj…’
why? there’s no dispute here. there’s no need for icj. korea has dokto. that’s all one need know.
Eh, it was a big mistake, hypocracy by the house to do that kind of things.
I see why the “koreans” like to bring this to the “house”.
TO prove that the koreans are pure innocent, and that they have no responsibilty in these problems.
The mistake on the Japanese side is that they responded to this resolution.
They should just ignore it. It is basicaly an american problem. Identity politics.
Japan and Korea both must a way to find a way to resolute this problem (even if it costs another decades).
Bob,
I have to disagree with both you and the editorial. I believe the U.S. has a responsiblity here. It shrank from their responsibility at the end of WWII, when many of these issues could of been resolved with a lot less mess. But the U.S. chose not to do that, favoring a stable Japan with a lot of the same cronnies and infrastructure in power.
It was different in Europe, when the U.S. and her allies made the Germans accountable for their actions in even minor countries such as Poland, Bulgaria and Czech.
captbbq nailed it on the head.
The Korean-Americans are clearly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Now if only they’d turn that newfound electoral eye of mordor to the North Korean comfort women that still exist RIGHT NOW.
#14,
Legally, all these matters were settled in the 1965 treaty. However, for the sake of relations, Japan should offer an official government apology that both the Japanese and South Korean governments can agree upon and not one centered around a personal apology by a cabinet spokesman like they did in 1993. Given that financial obligations are squarely on Korea’s shoulders per the 1965 agreement, they should compensate the ladies.
“However, for the sake of relations, Japan should offer an official government apology that both the Japanese and South Korean governments can agree upon and not one centered around a personal apology by a cabinet spokesman like they did in 1993. “
Apologies aren’t negotiated. One side offers and the other side accepts or rejects it.
I don’t see where the harm is in passing this through the house of reps.
the way i see it, through the passage of this democrat-led initiative the book is now officially closed for all of the korean religious/civic groups hounding their local politician for measures to punish japan for crimes committed during WW2.
the next time a complaint about japan’s ww2 misdeeds are lobbied toward a congressman - they’ll merely point towards this house resolution and say - “we’ve already addressed that.”
In some respects the korean protesters got what they wanted - a measure of censure for an issue the japanese hoped would’ve been forgotten about by now. But in retrospect these same protesters may have ’shot their wad’ too early by settling for a completely TOOTHLESS resolution that probably provides little satisfaction to affected victims and through which the US has officially deemed the matter to now be ‘closed.’
Sonagi,
What the heck are you talking about???
Negotiated apologies are certainly not unheard of, particularly in Japanese society where there is a culture of apology. Besides, in the absence of a sincere, self-motivated one, a negotiated apology would be the next best alternative. This was exactly what happened when the USS Greeneville collided with that Japanese trawler and killed 9 Japanese fishing students. Captain Fallon didn’t want to apologize, but he was forced to give one that was previously negotiated by the State Department.
# 19,
Toothless? A precedent nonetheless. What if the Chinese Americans want a U.S. legistated bill requesting that Japan formally apologize for the Nanking Massacre?
“2001. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (Also signed by all the prime ministers since 1995, including Ryutaro Hashimoto, Keizo Obuchi, Yoshiro Mori). “As Prime Minister of Japan, I thus extend anew my most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women. We must not evade the weight of the past, nor should we evade our responsibilities for the future. I believe that our country, painfully aware of its moral responsibilities, with feelings of apology and remorse, should face up squarely to its past history and accurately convey it to future generations” (Letter from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the former comfort women.)
And that’s just one of them…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L....._officials
“Negotiated apologies are certainly not unheard of, particularly in Japanese society where there is a culture of apology. Besides, in the absence of a sincere, self-motivated one, a negotiated apology would be the next best alternative. This was exactly what happened when the USS Greeneville collided with that Japanese trawler and killed 9 Japanese fishing students. Captain Fallon didn’t want to apologize, but he was forced to give one that was previously negotiated by the State Department.”
Negotiated with whom? Fellow US government officials, not the Japanese, who received the apology, correct? The formal apology letter was written and delivered to the families after they publicly rejected Fallon’s expression of “regret,” but I don’t believe the Japanese formally negotiated with the US government on the wording of the letter.
This is precisely why the U.S. Congress has an approval rating of 14%, the lowest since it’s been measured.
‘As Prime Minister of Japan, I thus extend anew my most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women. We must not evade the weight…’ insincere apology from koi
‘there was no coercion by the military…’ jap. pm abe
‘they (forced prostitutes) were paid higher than the generals.’ newspaper ad from japanese government
‘the chinese are lying! there was no rape of nanjing!’ more from the japanese.
‘their stories are inconsistant…’ jap. pm abe translation:
‘they’re lying whores.’
‘we’ve apolgized many times.’ japan
‘japan has apologized many times.’ someguy
#25. How do you gauge if something is a sincere or not? So, you prove that Koizumi wasn’t by quoting something that was said by someone else. How can I argue with logic like that?
#20
I told my wife about this. Her reply? “Maybe they (the US) got something from Korea”. Yup, proof Koreans in general aren’t as naive or nationalistic as a certain Korean-American. I won’t name names, but it starts with ‘Pa’ and rhymes with ‘wigori’.
# 24,
Errr… I think things like healthcare, the economy, immigration, etc. play more of a role in Congress’ approval rating.
Remember, Korea is unimportant, insignificant and incompetent according to most here. So how in the world can it have a role in Congress’ approval rating?… ;P
Korean-Americans are being a force to be reckoned with? The number of Koreans and Japanese being able to vote in America is somewhat close, and in West Coast cities excluding the big ones like LA, I’ve found more Japanese communities and people than Korean.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D....._Americans
The ICJ is powerless in reality and is more of a figurehead of justice for stronger countries, and if there is any thing in this world that is as close as to an best mediator, it is the USA in terms of strength, history and flexibility of it’s legal system, and economy, IMO. Getting the US as an ally was a good choice if pissing Japan off was the goal, though to be fair, the Japanese for a long time have been saying that no one else in the developed world believes Japan made an insincere apology when it was quite far from the the truth (we just don’t care though).
At any rate, it’s funny how many of you overestimate the power of Korea; if there is anything that helped push this it was from the Chinese Americans (much larger presence) and from Chinese money backers. While many believe China is an upcoming enemy to the USA, it’s quite the opposite; they are probably the closest allies due to trade, and thus Japan doesn’t really have much of a real use as an ally now, considering things such as their auto groups pissing off the powerful American ones. Military wise, they haven’t really helped at all in Iraq despite the contingent they sent, much less useful than the Koreans in that regard. Thus, I’m not surprised this deal was passed..
korean american power, sorry not the issue, as previously mentioned chinese trade ties and growing influence are the reason for the resolution. In Korea Japan disputes, US either takes Japanese side or remains neutral.
#’s 28 and 29,
China has been largely silent regarding the comfort women issue. Nobody really knows what they think. Heck, they can just be apathetic given that most comfort women were from Korea.
Also for 28. More Japanese in the U.S. then Koreans? Eh, maybe in Hawaii. But obviously you haven’t been to the U.S’s largest cities of LA and NYC.
“korea has dokto. that’s all one need know.”
Pawikirogi, #13:
Actual possession is a strong argument in a dispute regarding ownership, but it is, by itself, not conclusive proof of the latter.
Imagine I steal your laptop from your home (where was that still - was it in Monterrey as you told us once, as far as I recall
. Do you seriously think that by virtue of my theft I should become the owner of the stolen goods ?
Actual possession is a question of fact - ownership, however, is a question of law.
“Japan and Korea both must a way to find a way to resolute this problem (even if it costs another decades).”
#14
Tomojiro,
we have discussed this issue before and I remember well that you take a very reasonable position here.
But I have to repeat that, while I am trying to be neutral on the Dokdo/Takeshima issue (and emotionally favour the Japanese claim to the island ove the Korean one), I am by and large with the Koreans on the Comfort Women issue.
And I repeat my statement that Japan is doing herself no favour by remaining silent. For the Europeans (even for the Germans and Italians) Japan has failed to rid herself of the image of an aggressive power, even though most people are well aware that the country has, since 1945, undergone a more profound change than any other nation, even Germany.
Nevertheless, forgiveness can only be granted if forgiveness is clearly and unequivocally requested, and, at least as far as the public opinion in Europe is concerned, this has not yet been done. The Germans had problems with this, as well, but I think that, by now, these problems have largely been overcome.
On a personal note:
You might be interested in the fact that from age 1 to age 9 I grew up in Köln-Lindenthal, close to the German Central Office of THE JAPAN FOUNDATION. I regularly attended their activities, together with my parents who were genuine fans of the Japanese culture. Thus, by the age of 9, I was considerably more familiar with Japanese customs than with German ones - but then my father was sent to to Hong Kong by his employer, and later we moved further to Singapore. Thus we lost contact with Japanese culture.
You’ve told me once that you spent some time in Köln as a boy, that’s why I think that the above might be of interest to you.
Fantasy
Aside of the policy of the LDP, the resolution of the house made it virtually impossible to apologize “sincerly”. First,even when the japanese government decides to “applogize”, many Japanese will see that these came out because of international pressure. And so will do the Koreans and Chinese.
That will give a wrong message. The “insincerity” of the apolgy will continue to stirr further demands of apology (for whatever if it fits their political motives), or give an excuse to bring other political issues to the house.
If you have to appologize, then you must understand spontanously why you have to.
Thus the need that it must be solved directly between Japan and Korea.
As one korean proffesor has put it, if you demand an apology you need to be ready to forgive. But the resolution of the house does not contribute to that. It has further politicized the issue.
And Fantasy, I don’t have time to write about that, but I thought for a long time that comparison between Germany (and Europe) is misleading and wrong.
Does the French have appologized and compensate what they have done in Algerian 20 years after the defeat of the “Japanese Empire”?
Other Europian nations? Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that Japan doesn’t have the need to face its history,but I really don’t think that “admonition” from other former imperial nations are moraly convincing.
“Does the French have appologized and compensate what they have done in Algerian 20 years after the defeat of the “Japanese Empire”?”
La Francophonie is referred as the French equivalent of the Commonwealth, but in reality it was thought up by the leader of an African nation who didn’t want France to grant them independence in order to absolve themselves of their colonial past. So, yeah, France is paying for its colonial past, but in a mutually beneficial manner.
Tomojiro,
do not get me wrong - I really do not mean to attack you, I know you are a person with very moderate views.
Nevertheless, it is hard for me to agree with some of your points.
“First,even when the japanese government decides to “applogize”, many Japanese will see that these came out because of international pressure.”
That may well be true - few people or entities are ever willing to apologise without being pressured. So what ? When I was a boy my (adoptive) parents regularly forced me to apologise if I had done something wrong (such as stealing a small amount of money from my father’s wallet). While I did not LIKE apologising at that time I understand that my father was right in demanding an apology. The important thing is that when an apology is tendered, it has got to be accepted - and then the air should be clear again.
You have got a point in so far that the acceptance of the apology by the Chinese and the Koreans is not guaranteed. But that is their own problem - the public opinion in Europe would change sides if that so happened.
“If you have to apologize, then you must understand spontanously why you have to.”
Well, I think that should be obvious even to the most nationalistic Japanese (you are not among this group as I know). In any event, I cannot imagine that there a many Germans in their sound mind left who believe that Germany had no reason to apologise for not only ONE but TWO world wars, and for the Holocaust in addition. Moreover, apologies have been tendered to Tanzania and Namibia for wrongdoings during the pre-WWI colonial period.
“Do the French have appologized and compensated what they have done in Algeria 20 years after the defeat of the “Japanese Empire”?”
I do not think that is comparable - after all the French had been the lawful authority in Algeria since 1830 (!). And the Algerian war of independance started with vicious attacks on French settlers who had been in the area for generations.
“I really don’t think that “admonitions” from the other former imperial nations are moraly convincing.”
Well, sometimes it is a definite advantage to be provided with the chance of profiting from the experience of others…
Someguy, #35:
are you thinking of Léopold Sédar Senghor ?
I’ve met him once during my time in France in the 1980s.
On that occasion he was, how could it be different, giving a speech about the importance of the French language in a global context. He severely chastised the French for using TOO MUCH ENGLISH. That was 20 years ago - I think the present situation would drive him mad !
As the testicularly-fortified and most badass ’stache-sporting former PM of Spain Jose Maria Aznar pointed out, the Muslim world has yet to apologize for the 8 century occupation of Spain
I’m going to Seoul in a few days, thank god….
I think Aznar meant that as a tit-for-tat response to the persistent Moroccan complaints of having been driven out of Córdoba (in 1236) and Granada (in 1492).
He has got a point, after all. The Moroccans are persistently lambasting the Spanish of kicking them out of a country they had themselves taken by force…
#27: As in doing frivolous activities, since the number of people that care about the issue roughly corresponds to the number of gyopos in the States.
# 41,
Really?
http://www.awm.gov.au/alliesin...../women.asp
http://www.iht.com/articles/1993/02/10/edhi.php
In the various countries of Europe a whole lot of people take the issue very serious indeed. And this is so despite the fact that Japan is widely admired here. The persistent non-acknowledgment of her wartime guilt remains the one black spot on the country’s otherwise unblemished postwar reputation.
And it is really a pity that such a marvellous country seems to be unable to face up to her sordid past…
I recommend this article for those who think that this is really none of the US’s business: http://www.thewashingtonnote.c.....002247.php
At the risk of coming under fire from the Korean or Korean-American side, I would like to point out that Japan’s recalcitrance on the matter is continually exploited by the Gyopos and Koreanophiles who are resident in Europe, as it enables them to present Korea and the Korean people as the primary victims of WWII. This is, of course, complete and utter bullshit, but it has decisive influence on the perception of Korea and the Koreans here in Europe, as the Europeans tend to take that crap seriously.
My (Korean) wife was questioned at length by her fellow students at her German university about her feelings regarding the the Comfort Women Issue and the Japanese refusal to apologise. She said she didn’t give a shit - and thus caused complete and utter consternation. This shows how successful the Koreans and their apologists have been in presenting themselves to the European public as the perennial underdogs of history.
As has become perfectly obvious for everyone who has read my comments, here and elsewhere in the K-Blogosphere, I am quite critical of the ROK and of certain aspects of Korean culture.
But what happens if I voice criticism of this sort in Germany, Belgium, France etc. ? I am regularly met with the following objection:
“How can you dare criticising the Koreans, the perennial victims of history - they have suffered sooooooo much at the hands of the evil Japanese invaders and have never even received a sincere apology.”
As if the Koreans were Holocaust survivors or something of the sort, and thus exempted from all criticism of whatever kind…
So, dear Japanese, please apologise and pay adequate compensation, so that the Korean side will in future be prevented from exploiting the issue further. We will then be able to lay the matter to rest and concentrate on the real issues, i.e. the shortcomings of Korean politics and society. And there are plenty of them…