Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea

Summary of

A resolution that demands Japan’s formal apology and full compensation to war time “Comfort Women” for the sake of restoration of their honor and dignity
Presented by Shin Hak Kyun
Parliament of South Korea

8 October 2008
Bill No. 1125

The South Korea Parliament passed a resolution condemning Japan and demanding Japan to compensate and officially apologize to hundreds of thousands of women from Korea and other Asian/Oceanic countries who were abducted and were forced to serve frontline Japanese imperial soldiers as sex slaves during World War II.

The South Korea Parliament was inspired by similar resolutions first adopted in 2007 by the United States House of Representatives and subsequently by the Netherlands, Canada and the European Union, demanding the Japanese government’s sincere apology and compensation. It was also inspired by the international recognition of the necessity of an awareness campaign for future generations in order to pass on a record of the negative legacy.

It should be noted that several Japanese local governments such as the Takarazuka and Kiyose City Councils, etc. have also adopted resolutions and written statements since March 2008, demanding that Japan take full responsibility for committing the abuse of war-time “Comfort Women.” The South Korea Parliament supports these recent movements.

The UN Conference for Human Rights was held in Vienna in 1993. Since then, a wide range of recommendations aiming for a solution to the “Comfort Women” issue have been continuously presented by the UN Commission on Human Rights and various other international organizations. As of June 2008, the Japanese government has not accepted these recommendations. The South Korea Parliament declares the deepest concern about the Japanese government’s failure to officially acknowledge its responsibility for these crimes.

The majority of the surviving comfort women are now in their late 70s or older and their numbers continue to diminish as the condition of their health deteriorates. The South Korea Parliament adopted a resolution for the sake of restoring the honor and dignity of the comfort women with the detailed statement shown below.

1. South Korea Parliament demands that Japanese government officially give a full apology to these women from many Asian and Oceanic countries who had been sexually enslaved for the Japanese imperial soldiers since 1930s until the end of WWII for the restoration of the honor and dignity of the war victims.

2. In order to restore the substantial human rights and dignity of these “Comfort Women,” the South Korean Parliament demands that the Japanese government admit these crimes against humanity and allow school textbooks to carry facts about the “Comfort Women” so that those inhumane acts will not be repeated. It also calls for the Japanese government to provide adequate and effective compensation to the comfort women which should be promoted by decisive action, such as having the Japanese Diet establish related regulations.

3. For “Justice for the Comfort Women,” the South Korean Parliament demands that the South Korean government play an active and evidential role in ensuring that the Japanese government officially apologizes, provides compensation and allows for the teaching of the true story in history textbooks by accepting the recommendations of international bodies including the UN Commission on Human Rights and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, etc.