Noda repeats Japan’s stance, demands removal of ‘Peace Statue’ in Seoul


KYOTO, Japan ― President Lee Myung-bak on Sunday pressed Japan to address the long-standing issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery during World War II, stressing its urgency as victims die of old age.

Lee used most of his time during the summit talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda here to underscore that the thorny issue has been a stumbling block in the way of the two nations working toward a “mature, future-oriented” relationship.

“South Korea and Japan should be true partners for regional peace and stability. I think (Japan) should have the true courage to prioritize addressing the comfort women issue,” Lee was quoted by his spokesperson as saying during the talks.

Despite Lee’s emphasis on the victims, euphemistically termed “comfort women,” Noda repeated Japan’s position, renewing calls for the removal of the “Peace Statue” that a civic group established in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul last week.

“Had there be sincere measures by Japan to address the issue, the statue would not have been erected,” Lee said in response. “Without sincere measures, there will be second, third statues as another victim after another dies.”

Lee arrived here on Saturday for a two-day visit amid mounting calls in Korea for Japan’s apology and compensation for the wartime victims. His visit was made as part of the two sides’ “shuttle diplomacy.”

Tokyo argues the issue was covered by a bilateral pact in 1965 to settle financial reparations for Japan’s colonization of Korea from 1910-45. Seoul maintains that the comfort women issue is a separate humanitarian issue that was not covered under it.

During the hour-long meeting, Lee pointed out that a solution can be reached “not from any grandiose method, but from warm hearts” toward the victims who have spent most of their lives under the deep agony stemming from their traumatic memories.

Noda said that Japan will continue to handle the issue from a “humanitarian perspective.”

“As you already know our position, I will not repeat it any more. We have been cooperating over the issue with humanitarian concern and will come up with the wisdom (to deal with it) from the humanitarian perspective,” he said.

“It is regrettable that the statue was erected. We ask you to remove it.”

During the talks, Lee highlighted that “not much time” is left for Japan to settle the issue. Of the 234 victims registered with the government, only 63 are still alive.

“If all of them pass away, (Japan) will have the great burden of being unable to resolve it. At that point there will be no way to address it. There is no other time than now for the resolution of it.”

A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said that Seoul will wait and see how Japan responds to Seoul’s calls for the resolution.

“Among all the issues regarding the past, the comfort women issue is very important given the public sentiment, and is a touchstone of whether the relations between the two can deepen and widen,” he told reporters.

“Seoul approached the issue, believing that it needs a great political decision on the part of Japan for the future of the bilateral ties.”

The sensitive issue resurfaced as a civic group installed the Peace Statue, a monument of a girl in a traditional costume, last week, to highlight their demands for the restoration of the victims’ “trampled” honor.

The group has demanded that Japan offer a sincere apology and adequate compensation, include their wartime atrocities in its history textbooks and punish wartime criminals.

Japan has asked the Seoul government to remove it. But Seoul said it was not a matter for the government “to meddle in,” saying it would resort to mediation procedures should Tokyo continue to reject Seoul’s proposal for official talks over the issue.

Seoul first called for the talks in September, but Tokyo has yet to respond to it, maintaining that the issue was settled under the 1965 pact.

During his meeting with South Koreans in Osaka, Lee underscored that rather than “being bound to the past,” the two countries should move toward the future.

“Since I took office (in 2008), my position has been that the past should not get in the way of the two sides moving toward the future. We cannot forget the past, but have to get over it and move on.”

During the meeting with Korean residents, Lee also urged Japan to grant them the tight to vote right in local elections, stressing that many advanced nations have already given suffrage to foreigners. About 566,000 ethnic Koreans reside in Japan on a permanent basis.

“The demand is not that we want the suffrage that other nations do not grant. As many other advanced nations do, I think it is an issue Japan should address from a broader perspective,” he said.

Lee returned to Seoul on Sunday afternoon.

Lee visited Japan for the second time as president since his last visit in June 2009 as part of the shuttle diplomacy. It was the third summit talks with Noda since the Japanese prime minister took office on Sept. 2.

By Song Sang-ho, Korea Herald correspondent
(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)