“Korean women were not programmatically and forcibly conscripted by Japanese soldiers in Korea into comfort station work,” Ramseyer said. Ramseyer also said that a famous 1996 UN report on comfort women relied on Yoshida’s book as well. Ramseyer also questioned the credibility of the testimonies of comfort women, saying their late-in-life testimonies sometimes had contradicted earlier accounts. “The comfort women issue is an unprecedented violation of human rights on women in armed conflict as well as a violation of universal human rights,” the official said, reiterating the government’s position. “At a time when the weekly rally demanding Japan’s apology to comfort women marked its 30th anniversary yesterday, the timing of his statement is questionable,” said Hosaka.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 06, 2022 21:05 UTC