Wouldn’t it be nice if we could put the comfort women controversy to rest after so many years?
That day may finally have arrived.
The Washington Post reports South Korea and Japan have reached a settlement over the issue that has divided the two Asian nations for more than 70 years.
Japan has agreed to put $8.3 million into a fund to support 46 surviving comfort women. Historians say as many as 200,000 women from Korea, China, Philippines and other South Asian nations were forced to work as sex slaves for the Japanese Imperial Army.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who’s past comments have been interpreted as disputing the claims of the comfort women expressed his deep apology and remorse.
“The most important thing is for Japan to diligently and promptly implement what has been agreed to restore comfort women victims’ honor and dignity and heal their wounded hearts,” South Korean President Park Geun-hye said.
The issue has also spilled into the United States with Korean Americans demanding a sincere apology and advocating for several comfort women memorials in the U.S. and some Japanese Americans opposing the memorials and saying Japan has already apologized on numerous occasions.
You can read Abe’s comments on this agreement in the Washington Post.
Washington Post: Japan – South Korea Reach Landmark Agreement on Comfort Women
