Great News!! Grandmas’ Legal Victory and “Comfort Women” Scholarship Showcase!!

Good News 1. Grandmas’ Legal Victory in Korean Court!

On Thursday, November 23, 2023 (Local Time), the Seoul High Court ruled in favor of the 16 “comfort women” victims’ claims against the Japanese government filed in 2016.

Reuters Report
Kyodo News Report

In its reversal of the lower court decision based on sovereign immunity (a legal doctrine that allows a state to be exempt from a civil suit in foreign courts) in 2021, the Seoul High Court recognized the jurisdiction of South Korean courts over the Japanese government as a defendant because the plaintiffs live in South Korea, where they’re seeking compensation over the acts that are deemed “unlawful” under its civil law, and “it is reasonable to consider that there is a common international law which does not recognize state immunity for an illegal act… regardless of whether the act was a sovereign act.”

A 95-year old survivor activist Yong-soo Lee expressed deep gratitude and joy when she heard the ruling at the court. She said, “I’m grateful. I’m really grateful,” adding that she wished she was able to share the news and gratitude with some other victims who had passed away.

The Japanese government continued to deny its responsibility. Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a statement that the judgment is “extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable.”

This is a victory; however, we must remember that this court ruling fulfills only one out of six international standards set out by the UN to resolve the issue of military sexual slavery by Japan. The Japanese government must adhere to these recommendations before all victims pass away and lose the opportunity to finally resolve the issue.

Here are the six standards laid out by the UN Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy in the 1996 report:

137. The Government of Japan should:

(a) Acknowledge that the system of comfort stations set up by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War was a violation of its obligations under international law and accept legal responsibility for that violation;

(b) Pay compensation to individual victims of Japanese military sexual slavery according to principles outlined by the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on the right to restitution, compensation and rehabilitation for victims of grave violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. A special administrative tribunal for this purpose should be set up with a limited time-frame since many of the victims are of a very advanced age;

(c) Make a full disclosure of documents and materials in its possession with regard to comfort stations and other related activities of the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War;

(d) Make a public apology in writing to individual women who have come forward and can be substantiated as women victims of Japanese military sexual slavery;

(e) Raise awareness of these issues by amending educational curricula to reflect historical realities;

(f) Identify and punish, as far as possible, perpetrators involved in the recruitment and institutionalization of comfort stations during the Second World War.

The roadmap is clear. Japan must follow these recommendations immediately, and stop its attempt to deny and revise history in the international community.

In the meantime, our efforts to promote an awareness and education of the “comfort women” issue continues…

Good News 2. CARE presents a “comfort women” scholarship showcase!

Please join our webinar where college students and faculty members from 5 colleges will present “comfort women” related research and creative work, sponsored by CARE’s scholarship program!!

Students and faculty members from UCLA, San Francisco State University, Vassar College, Cal State University Northridge and Sogang University of South Korea will make presentations on their work product on the “comfort women” issue. You can join this webinar by registering HERE:

When: Nov 29, 2023 14:00 Pacific Time (US and Canada), Nov 30, 2023, 7:00am (Korea and Japan)
Topic: “Comfort Women” Scholarship Showcase 2023

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__2DXGpKGSC6lFr4pXbZjEA

We look forward to seeing you there!!