Announcement on Comfort Women Issue

On 28 December 2015, Japan and ROK (Republic of Korea) made public the "agreement" on the issue of "comfort women".

・Japan (MOFA): "Announcement by Foreign Ministers of Japan and the Republic of Korea at the Joint Press Occasion".

・ROK (MOFA): "Remarks at the Joint Press Availability".

Comments

・It is said that an "agreement" was reached between the two countries, but there is no written document. Each country made each annoucement.

・ROK uses the expression "comfort women" in the annoucement, but also "sexual slavery victims" on the website: Foreign Ministers of the ROK and Japan Meet over the Issue of Sexual Slavery Victims Drafted by Japan's Imperial Army During WWII.

・some differences of expression can be found in the two annoucements.

i) "responsibilities" (Japanese version) / "responsibility" (Korean version).

ii) As to the memorial statue in front of the Embassy of Japan in Seoul, ROK "will strive to solve this issue in an appropriate manner through taking measures" (Japanese version) / ROK "will make efforts to appropriately address the concern" (Korean version)

Recent development

・Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, "Statement by the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Konoon: the result of the study on the issue of "comfort women" " (4 August 1993)

・"The Points of Remarks by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe" (Upper House Budget Committee) (15 May 2013).

・The Study Team on the Drafting Process of the Kono Statement etc., "Details of Exchanges Between Japanand the Republic of Korea (ROK)Regarding the Comfort Women Issue~ From the Drafting of the Kono Statement tothe Asian Women’s Fund ~" (20 June 2014).