South Korean wartime ‘comfort women’ call Japan deal humiliating
With around 250 supporters, they staged a rally outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul criticising the agreement signed between the two countries on Monday.
Two former South Korean “comfort women” and around 250 supporters protested in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul on Wednesday against the deal signed between the two countries. Japan on Monday had offered an apology and 1 billion yen (around Rs 54.5 crore) to the 46 surviving South Korean World War II sex slaves. However, it had said the payment was aimed at “restoring the women’s dignity” and was not official compensation.
Deeming the deal humiliating, victims and activists are unhappy with Japan’s refusal to accept formal, legal responsibility for the issue that has strained ties between the two countries for decades. Lee Yong-Soo, an 88-year-old survivor, said they will continue to fight for justice. Many of the 200,000 “comfort women” forced into prostitution and sexual slavery during World War II were Korean.
