The most important fact on comfort women issue is that this problem was caused by a group in South Korea under the direction of North Korea, NOT Japan.
Actually Japanese Government has repeatedly apologized on the issue of comfort women during these two decades. Prime Minister Miyazawa in 1992, Prime Minister Murayama in 1994, Prime Minister Hashimoto in 1998, and Prime Minister Koizumi in 2001 definitely expressed their will of apology to the comfort women. Many other Ministers of Japan have repeatedly announced the statement of apology and regret too. This fact is clearly recorded on documents.
Besides Japanese Government has set up a fund to compensate for the suffering of comfort women. This fund is called the Asian Women's Fund. In 90's it acually comensated women all over Asia with money and the apology letter from Prime Minister.
During war time all over the world, so many women received sexual suffering, but what country has definately apologized to such women? What country has actually compensated them? So Far Only Japan Has Done.
However there is only one country which rejected such apology and compensation from Japan. It is South Korea. Why did South Korea reject? The main cause comes from "Chong Dae Hyup", the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.
Chong Dae Hyup pressured Korean comfort women not to receive money and apology letter from Japan. It is Chong Dae Hyup which first built a statue of comfort girl in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Other such statues are being built over and over again in America.
In fact Chong Dae Hyup is a group that has a close relationship with North Korea. This group has frequently issued statements to support North Korea. In 2012 it clearly stated that it would obstruct the military cooperation between Japan and South Korea. This is the real intention of Chong Dae Hyup. They are trying to split the ties of these two nations.
Behind the stalemate of comfort women problem and worsened relationship between Japan and South Korea, there is a hidden and strong influence from North Korea.
慰安婦問題で日本が攻勢に転じるには、やはり英語でアピールしなければならない。個人のブログで発信し主張することも、ささやかな宣伝戦の一環である。であれば、まず私自身が始めてみなければならない。ひとまずは、先週(2月19日)の記事で書いたようなことを英語でまとめてみた。これが外国人の目に止まってくれれば、うれしいのだが。