Time does not, it seems, heal all wounds

[Unkotare]

As more and more of these victims pass on, it's important to remember what they went through. But will the bitterness ever end so long as there is even one person on both sides who doesn't want it to?


Time running out for former Korean sex slaves ? Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion


"There are only 55 women left who registered with the South Korean government as former sex slaves from the war - down from a peak of more than 230. Their average age is 88."

"Japan has apologized many times over the years, including a landmark 1993 statement by then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono that acknowledges Japan’s responsibility over military brothels and says wartime documents, statements and other records were enough to assume many women were deceived or forced into them. Some past premiers have also written letters of apology to the women.

But many South Koreans see the repeated apologies and past efforts at private compensation as insufficient. One big reason is because they’ve been consistently undermined by the incendiary comments of many Japanese politicians, officials and right-wing activists."

"Many average Japanese are sympathetic to the women, but some also see a steady politicization of the issue by South Korean lawmakers and activists stoking anti-Japanese anger."


It's disheartening...

 

[Unkotare]

Back in the 90s there would often be middle-aged women outside major subway stations around Tokyo collecting donations to be sent directly to the survivors. Seemed like an awful lot of people were donating every time I saw them. A number of women received money from this fund, though a number of the survivors rejected it.

A hard topic from every angle.