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[ponpo]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2015/12/28/0200000000AEN20151228002251315.html

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20151228/k10010355451000.html

SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Japan reached a landmark deal on Monday to resolve the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, announced the agreement after talks at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, which centered on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims.

"The comfort women issue is an issue whereby many women under the then military's involvement bore deep scars to their honor and dignity, and from this perspective, the Japanese government acutely feels responsible," Kishida said in a joint press conference with Yun at the ministry.

The Japan Times is reporting the total amount is ¥1 billion, but don't see that number reported elsewhere. That's what SK was asking and Japan offered lower initially, but maybe they agreed on that amount.

Part of the agreement seems to be that South Korea will consider the issue closed as long as Japan fulfills its part of the deal, so presumably it won't be brought up between the two again. At least officially.

e: Some confirmation about that Japan Times number via AP

EOUL, South Korea (AP) -- The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan say they've reached a deal meant to resolve a decades-long impasse over Korean women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during World War II.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida says his prime minister, Shinzo Abe, is offering an apology and that Tokyo will finance a 1 billion yen aid fund for the elderly former sex slaves to be set up by South Korea.

The issue of former Korean sex slaves, euphemistically known as "comfort women," is the biggest source of friction in ties between Seoul and Tokyo. The neighbors are thriving democracies, trade partners and staunch U.S. allies, but they have seen animosity rise since the 2012 inauguration of hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

 

[Gleethor]

Good to see them owning up to it.

 

[davidwhangchoi]

thanks for the update

 

[Two Words]

Isn't that only like ten million dollars?

 

[grandjedi6]

Here's a bunch of money so we never have to publicly admit to it

 

[davidwhangchoi]

^ it's the acknowledgements that's a big deal

 

[anaron]

well it's a start.

 

[ponpo]

Isn't that only like ten million dollars?

It's what South Korea asked for.

Here's a bunch of money so we never have to publicly admit to it

They are admitting it.

 

[tsumineko]

About fucking time.

 

[ibyea]

Wow, I hope this deal succeeds.

 

[Brakke]

Isn't that only like ten million dollars?

"Only"? The English story doesn't say how many people these funds would disperse to. Could be a whole lot per person, could be a small amount. How can I say without a denominator? Anybody know?

 

[Saya]

Did they only apologize for the comfort women in Korea? What about all the other Asian countries? Still, a good first step.

 

[noquarter]

Isn't that only like ten million dollars?

Yeah, less than that actually.

Here's a bunch of money so we never have to publicly admit to it

Apologizing for it is the big deal here. There isn't that much money here, pretty sure Japan can still afford $10 million.

 

[Tagyhag]

I was actually blown away when I heard about this, I have no idea how they changed Abe's mind.

Honestly, I still believe he doesn't buy into it, and he's only doing this due to coercion.

 

[$h@d0w]

It's a start, what about China?

 

[rhophiehalul78]

Did they only apologize for the comfort women in Korea? What about all the other Asian countries? Still, a good first step.

Yes, what about the Philippines? Still, this is a good gesture.

 

[firehawk12]

So when do they start paying out to pretty much every other country they occupied?

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

This is why I never buy people who are against reparations. Usually, government sponsored atrocities should be resolved with an apology, both verbal and financial.

 

[Savitar]

Unexpected but welcome. It's a first step.

 

[SegaShack]

How about the Chinese people they kidnapped and experimented on during WW2?

 

[firehawk12]

This is why I never buy people who are against reparations. Usually, government sponsored atrocities should be resolved with an apology, both verbal and financial.

It doesn't help that someJapanese politicians started from the position of "these women wanted to do it" though. It goes beyond denial, it's blaming the victim.

 

[Des0lar]

For clarification, this is not the first time Japan pays reparations.

the first disclosure to the Korean public; it revealed that Seoul demanded US$364 million compensation for individuals who died, were injured or used as laborers during Japan's 35-year occupation on the Korean peninsula. Instead, the South Korean government received $800 million, in a combination of grants and low-interest loans, as reparations from Japan.

South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee agreed that after this payment, South Korean citizens would give up their right to make individual claims against the Japanese government. What the declassified documents revealed was that Park only paid out about 2.56 billion won ($251 million) to families killed by the Japanese and 6.6 billion won to owners of destroyed property. None of the thousands of South Koreans conscripted into the Japanese military and labor workforce received compensation.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GL23Dg02.html

The first time, the SK government used the money to boost the economy instead of paying it out to the victims.

 

[Volimar]

How about the Chinese people they kidnapped and experimented on during WW2?

That never happened.

Okay it happened but nowhere near the extent people say it did.

Okay it happened as much as people say it did but the damage isn't as bad as people say it is.

Okay the damage is as bad as people say it was but it happened so long ago why dwell on the past?

Okay we'll acknowledge it once but not do anything about it and never mention it again.

 

[firehawk12]

That never happened.

Okay it happened but nowhere near the extent people say it did.

Okay it happened as much as people say it did but the damage isn't as bad as people say it is.

Okay the damage is as bad as people say it was but it happened so long ago why dwell on the past?

Okay we'll acknowledge it once but not do anything about it and never mention it again.

It'd be funny if it weren't true.

 

[vityaz]

Good development. Been taking some time, seeing as the PM in Japan apologized for this back in 1995.

How about the Chinese people they kidnapped and experimented on during WW2?

Do you mean an apology for this specifically? Because Japan and their politicians have apologized several times for the damage they've caused in the past, and keep referring back to these earlier statements.

 

[numble]

Good development. Been taking some time, seeing as the PM in Japan apologized for this back in 1995.




Do you mean an apology for this specifically? Because Japan and their politicians have apologized several times for the damage they've caused in the past, and keep referring back to these earlier statements.

This agreement isn't about a verbal apology.

 

[vityaz]

This agreement isn't about a verbal apology.

Aye, meant it has been taking a while to get from that (PM apology) to this.

 

[Cerium]

This... is huge. It's been an obstacle in relations between these countries for an entire generation.

Good for America too, seeing as how our two biggest allies in the region can now start getting along.

 

[Kusagari]

It's progress but the ugliest part of Japan's denial has always been the Rape of Nanking.

Let's see if anything changes on that front.

 

[drakonhardt]

I'm severely disappointed. The comfort women were apologized to previously and Japan had paid reparations.

The more research I put into the Rape of Nanking leads me to believe that it was Chinese and American propaganda than it was any fact of the matter.

The only legitimate crime against humanity outside the scope of the horrors of war that the Japanese committed, where true evil took place was the Unit 731 experiments on human beings.

 

[Cerium]

I'm severely disappointed. The comfort women were apologized to previously and Japan had paid reparations.

There were previous apologies, but there was never a true resolution to this, and Japan never had the same postwar period of reflection that Germany did. This agreement involves South Korea officially considering the issue resolved. That's huge. I don't see how anyone can consider this a bad thing. Two nations with an acrimonious history are finally resolving their differences; whether you agree with the amount of money involved or not, there's a bigger picture here.

I disagree with your assessment of Nanking but that's a separate issue and I don't want to derail.

 

[Jebusman]

I'm severely disappointed. The comfort women were apologized to previously and Japan had paid reparations.

The more research I put into the Rape of Nanking leads me to believe that it was Chinese and American propaganda than it was any fact of the matter.

The only legitimate crime against humanity outside the scope of the horrors of war that the Japanese committed, where true evil took place was the Unit 731 experiments on human beings.

Two years.

Three posts.

You have had an account on Neogaf for 2 years, and in that time you have made exactly 3 posts.

And THREE POSTS IN, this is what you write.

 

[Joni]

"Only"? The English story doesn't say how many people these funds would disperse to. Could be a whole lot per person, could be a small amount. How can I say without a denominator? Anybody know?

The estimates concern about 200.000 women, 20% Korean according to a Japanese study, that did put the total amount of women a lot lower. Basing ourselves on this number, we're talking about 40.000 women. An estimated 75% died during the event, so that leaves about 10.000 women. That is about $1000 per woman. Of course, that depends on the number of them that are still alive at this time which will probably be a lot lower. Let's look at it the other way around, say it costs $20.000 yearly to support someone retired. That would be enough money to support 500 people for one year. No matter the denominator, this is a highly symbolic amount.

 

[Chips Fission]

Too bad both governments are full of warmongering right wingers. They will keep yelling about the issue when it benefits them. Well, at least this is a step to right direction.

 

[airmangataosenai]

This... is huge. It's been an obstacle in relations between these countries for an entire generation.

Good for America too, seeing as how our two biggest allies in the region can now start getting along.

Let's be honest, Anti-japanese sentiment is too critical to Korean politics to ever really go away. Even if they gave them Dokdo.

 

[Peru]

Let's be honest, Anti-japanese sentiment is too critical to Korean politics to ever really go away. Even if they gave them Dokdo.

Well nationalist hate mongering has been even more critical to Abe's success.

 

[Cerium]

Let's be honest, Anti-japanese sentiment is too critical to Korean politics to ever really go away. Even if they gave them Dokdo.

I think this came about because both countries are becoming concerned about China. If shit ever popped off I think they'd forget about WWII pretty quickly.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

But they don't really apologise for it. They express 'formal regret for Japans wartime actions' or whatever the term is, then start banging on forgetting about the past and everyone did bad stuff so why dwell on it, etc. Have they given compensation to the chinese people they massacred, tortured, experimented on? How about the Allied POW's that the British government had to pay compensation payments to in 1999 cos the Japanese government declined to do so? Come on.

 

[sprsk]

Well nationalist hate mongering has been even more critical to Abe's success.

And thus the cycle continues.

 

[Stinkles]

Two years.

Three posts.

You have had an account on Neogaf for 2 years, and in that time you have made exactly 3 posts.

And THREE POSTS IN, this is what you write.

Holy cannoli

 

[Raist]

A "bit' LTTP (most of these women are likely dead by now) but better than nothing I guess.

Here's a bunch of money so we never have to publicly admit to it

Did you actually read the OP? It's not like it was a secret deal.

 

[Ryouji Gunblade]

Can they stop hating each other yet?

 

[ZoddGutts]

Can they stop hating each other yet?

Would be easy if the country that did all the war crimes during the war apologize without glossing things over. They ain't no Germany.

 

[Starsailor]

Two years.

Three posts.

You have had an account on Neogaf for 2 years, and in that time you have made exactly 3 posts.
And THREE POSTS IN, this is what you write.

What the hell, you spy everyone? ^^

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

Here's a bunch of money so we never have to publicly admit to it

Except this is them publicly admitting to it.

 

[Syph Medwes]

This is why I never buy people who are against reparations. Usually, government sponsored atrocities should be resolved with an apology, both verbal and financial.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economic_Consequences_of_the_Peace

 

[dreamcastmaster]

Two years.

Three posts.

You have had an account on Neogaf for 2 years, and in that time you have made exactly 3 posts.

And THREE POSTS IN, this is what you write.

That guy is an idiot, probably knows he's wrong so used an alt account. Or just ignorant.

 

[Froli]

Finally done. It wasn't so hard Japan eh?

 

[Krejlooc]

Two years.

Three posts.

You have had an account on Neogaf for 2 years, and in that time you have made exactly 3 posts.

And THREE POSTS IN, this is what you write.

lmao what comes over some people?

 

[KillerMan91]

Would be easy if the country that did all the war crimes during the war apologize without glossing things over. They ain't no Germany.

While they are not a Germany Japan has apologized for things they have done numerous times since WWII. I mean they surely could have done more but the other part of this whole puzzle is that even if Japan had done full Germany, relations between Japan and China/South Korea would not be same as relations of European countries. Anti-Japanese sentiments are used as a political tool in Korea and China to hide their domestic issues as common enemy brings people together.

As for these news. Good progress.