No Talks with Japan Unless They Apologize for Atrocities

Japan’s war time atrocities and baseless claim to Dokdo leave “no purpose” for talks: SK President

As the rift between South Korea and Japan deepens, the region struggles to reach agreement concerning control of North Korea’s growing nuclear capability.

“The fact is there are certain issues that complicate [any relationship with Japan,]” said South Korean President  Park Geun-hye.

“One example is the issue of the comfort women. These are women who have spent their blossoming years in hardship and suffering, and spent the rest of their life in ruins.” She told Bbc.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

“And none of these cases have been resolved or addressed; the Japanese have not changed any of their positions with regard to this. If Japan continues to stick to the same historical perceptions and repeat its past comments, then what purpose would a summit serve? Perhaps it would be better not to have one.”

Japan’s war-time atrocities against Korea, including the use of Korean woman as military sex slaves, or “comfort women,” as well as its illegitimate claim to Dokdo, a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan (known as Takeshima in Japan), draws great public anger in South Korea.

Park Geun-hye, who took office in February, is the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee. She has promised to redistribute wealth, reform big conglomerates and seek greater engagement with North Korea.

Panoramic View of Dokdo, Photo dated 2008/06/28. Permission: CCL 2.0by-sa-kr

Much to her credit, Ms Park has refused to meet with the Japanese Prime Minster, and correctly asserts any talk of a summit would be premature, until the long-standing issues between the two country have been resolved.

Japan Continues to Deny its WWII Atrocities: Former “Comfort women” seek Japan’s apology for WWII rapes

SURVIVING WWII ‘COMFORT WOMAN’ – Downloaded under Creative Commons License – Source: http://flickr.com/photos/keithpr/772549382/sizes/o/

Former Filipino “comfort woman” Piedad Nobleza, 86, holds slogans during a demonstration outside the Japanese Embassy in suburban Manila on Friday Aug. 15, 2008. Elderly Filipino women and their supporters demanded Tokyo’s clear-cut apology and compensation for wartime sexual slavery by Japanese troops. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila). Image may be subject to copyright.

Rangoon, Burma. August 8, 1945. An ethnic Chinese woman who was in one of the Imperial Japanese Army’s “comfort battalions” is interviewed by an Allied officer. Source: Comfort Women

Former “comfort woman” Lee Yong-Soo (L) stands beside her supporters holding portraits of Chinese, Philippine, South Korean and Taiwanese comfort women who were sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II, at a protest held in front of the Japanese parliament in Tokyo, in this 14 June 2007 file photo. Japan on 27 June 2007 brushed aside calls from US lawmakers for a fresh apology to wartime sex slaves, even as the former “comfort women” renewed their demands for Tokyo to acknowledge their plight. Japan said the US move to pass a resolution calling for an “unambiguous” apology from Japan for the coercion of women into army brothels during World War II would not damage relations between the two allies. Photo from Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images. Caption Daily life. Image may be subject to copyright.

SURVIVING WWII ‘COMFORT WOMAN’ awaiting justice! Source: Survivor_1. Creative commons license. Some rights reserved.

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