Elderly Lee Yong-soo, “Has President Yoon Forgotten His Promise to Resolve the Issue of Comfort Women?”

“I want to ask if President Yoon Suk-yeol’s words that he would solve the comfort women issue even if he did not become president were all a lie.”

The elderly Lee Yong-soo(pictured), who was forced to become a comfort woman in the Japanese military, made the comment when she participated in the 1,588th Wednesday Demonstration in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul on March 22. She also said, “I have tearfully shouted the truth for over three decades, but still there is no progress (on the comfort women issue).” This was the first Wednesday Demonstration following the summit with Japan, which has been criticized as a humiliation in foreign relations.

At the demonstration Wednesday, people voiced concerns that the responsibility of Japan as the perpetrator may also be erased in the comfort women issue, as it had in the issue of forced mobilization. When the Japanese press reported Japan’s request for South Korea to faithfully implement the bilateral agreement of 2015 in the latest summit, the South Korean government announced on March 20 that it would examine ways to use the remaining 1 billion yen, which Japan gave to the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation.

The elderly Lee said, “The government must keep its promise to return the 1 billion yen, which Japan gave to the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation, back to Japan. They should return every penny including interest.” She claimed, “That is not money. It’s simply a trick by Japan.”

Citizens Condemn the South Korea-Japan Summit: Participants shout slogans at the first Wednesday Demonstration to Resolve the Issue of Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military following the summit between South Korea and Japan, near the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul on March 22. The elderly Lee Yong-soo, who was present at the demonstration, criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had pledged to solve the comfort women issue when he was a presidential candidate. Kim Chang-gil

Lee Na-young, chair of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, said, “He (President Yoon) regards the demand for the legitimate rights of the victims and the just criticism of the people as hostile nationalism and anti-Japanese sentiment and is attacking them.” She further said, “It looks like he is going to quickly do the homework Japan gave him and establish a second foundation for reconciliation and healing, remove the Peace Statue in front of the Japanese Embassy, stop raising the issue of comfort women in the international society, and refrain from using the term sexual slavery.”

The victims of sexual slavery in the Japanese military plan to continue filing lawsuits and claims for compensation against Japan and hold Japan responsible to the end. The comfort women victims are currently proceeding with two claims for damages against the Japanese government.

In the first trial in January 2021, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the Japanese government should pay 100 million won each to the twelve comfort women victims including the late Bae Chun-hee. The bench said, “It is irrational to think the state lies outside the court’s jurisdiction in cases where the state has caused severe damage to the victims with inhumane actions.” Japan did not appeal, and the ruling was finalized. The legal representatives sought to force the execution of the ruling against Japan, but the process has stalled since Japan refused to follow the court’s decision to state its property.

An appeals trial is also in progress in connection to the claim for damages that the comfort women victims including Lee Yong-soo and twenty bereaved family members of the victims filed against Japan. In the first trial in April 2021, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the case due to state immunity, which prevents a sovereign state from being tried in the court of another country. The plaintiffs appealed and the court is currently questioning witnesses.

Lawyer Lee Sang-hee, who is representing the victims, said, “In international human rights law, questions have been raised as to whether it is right to apply state immunity in cases where basic rights were infringed due to actions committed by state power.”

The attorney argued that the case was dismissed in the first trial largely because of the agreement on the comfort women between South Korea and Japan in 2015, and claimed Japan was not properly executing the agreement. The judges thought that some of the damage was recovered when the Japanese government said they strongly realized their responsibility at the time of the agreement, but Japan has continued to display an attitude denying any responsibility.

Lee argued, “The agreement between South Korea and Japan in 2015 was based on the condition that the perpetrator admitted its responsibility,” and said, “We will strongly argue that Japan has not made any effort to restore the honor of the victims in the appellate trial.”