Critics Remain of ROK-Japan Comfort Women Agreement

For some people, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could apologize and commit seppuku on top of Mt. Namsan and they still would not be happy.  It seems to me the outline of this deal to resolve the comfort women issues seems pretty fair:

The landmark agreement between South Korea and Japan to end their dispute over Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women has already prompted questions about whether it really is the end.

The two countries’ top diplomats announced the terms of the deal in a press conference Monday, wrapping up 12 rounds of bilateral working-level talks that began in April 2014.

Key features of the agreement included a personal apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his country’s wartime crime, the Japanese government’s admission of responsibility for it and a 1 billion yen contribution to a support fund for victims to be set up by the South Korean government.

While the deal satisfied some of Seoul’s key demands, critics and some victims immediately protested the lack of “legal responsibility” on the part of Japan.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the Japanese government “feels acutely responsible” for the damage it caused to the honor and dignity of many women, with the involvement of the Japanese military during World War II. He did not state whether it is “moral” or “legal” responsibility.  [Korea Herald]

You can read the rest at the link.