S. Korea

A matter that is a serious concern not only for East Asian countries but for the entire international community itself is the so-called comfort women issue. In the United Nations, the issue has been discussed in the context of women's rights, the exploitation of women in conflicts, war crimes and the prevention of torture, among others. Indeed, Sunday, 26 January was a very sad day for the Korean people. A woman passed away who had been taken by force by the Japanese Imperial Army to suffer as an enforced sex slave. That leaves the total number of surviving comfort women at 55. The comfort women issue, which is at the core of the pending problems between Korea and Japan, is also an important universal women's rights issue.

The Japanese Government has yet to take responsibility for the issue. At the General Assembly last year, the Japanese delegation mentioned Japan's contributions to the victims of sexual violence in armed conflicts. But it said nothing about the comfort women. If their definition of the victims of sexual violence in armed conflicts does not include comfort women, is that a case of double standards or a denial of the past? The Japanese Government should urgently pay heed to the calls of the victims of its crimes and the international community. It should act by instilling a spirit of peace and reconciliation in its younger generation by correctly teaching the lessons of history