Giant ‘Comfort Women’ poster erected in Times Square
By Anna Watanabe Oct 05, 2012 8:35PM UTC
14 Comments and 0 Reactions
Japan has yet to apologise to Comfort Women from their occupied territories during World War Two. Picture: K-Pop Starz
South Korean singer and well known political campaigner Jang-hoon Kim and Public Relations expert Prof. Kyoung-duk Seo are taking the sensitive topic of Comfort Women to the US.
A poster,asking “Do You Remember?” was erected in New York’s Times Square on Wednesday in an attempt to continue the conversation of Japan’s atrocities in World War 2 overseas. It shows former German chancellor Willy Brandt making his ‘silent apology’ at a Jewish ghetto monument in Warsaw in 1971, and asks the same from Japan.
“In 2012, Korean women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during WWII are still waiting for a heartfelt apology from Japan,” it says.
Kim told K-Pop Starz:“This issue of what happened to the Korean women is becoming a worldwide issue. We decided to post these in Times Square because we knew that many people would see it and quite possibly raise awareness about the issue.”
K-Pop Starz reports that Kim and Seo are also working on other advertisements for Europe and a video for CNN and the BBC.
While the issue of Comfort Women is one that deserves to be discussed by people around the world and, more importantly, recognized by the Japanese government, I wonder if the timing of this is appropriate.
Japan’s territorial disputes with China and Korea over the Senkaku and Takeshima islands, respectively, have been in and out international news for years. But as conflicts between the three nations, particularly Japan and China, escalate, perhaps the “Do You Remember?” poster is adding unnecessary fuel to the fire.
Yesterday, South Korean government representatives and members of the foreign media went to Takeshima (as it is called in Japan), or Dokdo (its Korean name) ,in an attempt to reinforce what Korea claims is it’s rightful ownership of the islands. CNN reports that Japan’s Foreign Ministry, who claims that Korea’s military presence on the island is ‘illegal’, called the visit “extremely regrettable” and “totally unacceptable”. It’s not the kind of discourse you’d want to see between two of Asia’s largest economies.
There are so many disputes between Japan and Korea, and while the fault predominantly lies with Japan, it’s important to see the bigger picture.
Presumably, Japan will only bend to so much pressure from Korea. Perhaps Kim and Seo would have more luck with their campaign if they chose their battles more wisely.
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Showing 14 comments
Pakkurareman
A Korean government funded organization called VANK started a campaign called "Discount Japan" in 2005. It is Korea's propaganda to disgrace Japan and Japanese people.
Why propaganda now after about 70 years from the WWII?
S. Korea as well as N. Korea and China has been providing very strong anti-Japan education for about 70 years persistently. So, it is safe to say that the entire nation hates Japan very much because almost all of them received the anti-Japan education. So, they hate Japan very much and are very eager to disgrace Japan.
Korea as well as China has a culture of "grudge" and they try to remember every piece of bad things that Japan had done though Japan also did good things. They even distort the facts to augment the hatred.
Read these materials to see who is telling the truth:
- A US Military Report: Japanese Prisoner of War Interrogation Report No. 49.
http://www.exordio.com/1939-19...
Quote:
“A "comfort girl" is nothing more than a prostitute or "professional
camp follower" attached to the Japanese Army for the benefit of the
soldiers.”
- THE TRUTH ABOUT THE “COMFORT WOMEN” by Moteki Hiromichi
http://www.sdh-fact.com/CL02_1...
- The Truth about the Question of “Comfort Women” by Ogata Yoshiaki
http://www.sdh-fact.com/CL02_1...
- NO ORGANIZED OR FORCED RECRUITMENT: MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT COMFORT WOMEN AND THE JAPANESE MILITARY by Hata Ikuhiko
http://www.sdh-fact.com/CL02_1...
- BEHIND THE COMFORT WOMEN CONTROVERSY: HOW LIES BECAME TRUTH by Nishioka Tsutomu
http://www.sdh-fact.com/CL02_1...
I also recommend reading materials that Koreans recommend. Those are usually emotional such as unverified testimonies and they don't have any objective evidence.
Like Reply
10/13/2012 10:27 PM 3 Likes
Japan Lies and Deceits
It's obvious that the posting here by Japanese were the same people who were taught using Japanese government's distorted textbooks. How do you not know the truth from distorted facts. You may try to cover it up but we will expose your lies.
Like Reply
10/10/2012 09:34 AM 4 Likes
F. Moguro
It's only a few years away before Korean women file lawsuites against U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01...
Like Reply
10/09/2012 11:49 PM
F. Moguro
You should be careful before you believe what Koreans say to you! They are chronic liars.
Comfort women in reality
http://www.howitzer.jp/korea/p...
Like Reply
10/09/2012 02:44 AM 2 Likes
Benjamin
Hoo-ha why do japanese always use a mean trick?
Like Reply
10/09/2012 06:12 PM in reply to F. Moguro 1 Like
peace
Sad to see so many hate comments by both Japanese and Koreans. If only Korean government admit that they had the same comfort station system during the Korean War...
Like Reply
10/07/2012 02:08 PM 8 Likes
Khole
Japanese government used non-Japanese women. if Korean government used Korean women for certain sex slave, it's the problem that Korean have to solve by themselves. it's not other countries business. this 'comfort women' is big issue because Japanese government used other countries' women to fulfill their lust.
Like Reply
10/12/2012 02:51 PM in reply to peace 1 Like
Shameful-japan
Japanese, don't pervert the truth. Korean women were foreced to work as sex slaves by japanese soldiers. Japanese must apology to korean people. shameful-japan!
Like Reply
10/07/2012 10:35 AM 4 Likes
Shameful-korea
Korean women were not forced to work as sex slaves, but only to work as willing prostitutes. Never believe their sinister design. Korean are one of the most shamefil people in the world.
Like Reply
10/06/2012 11:26 AM 4 Likes
Thecurry
What is comfort women?
Sex, Lies, and Comfort Women - YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/... fact of Comfort Women (Sex Slave) is nothing more than a prostitute.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv6pB0...
Koreans will accuse your country,"your country forced prostitution in Korean women".If your country was admitted to entry of Korean prostitutes.
Like Reply
10/06/2012 09:53 AM 3 Likes
The truth
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10/06/2012 12:25 AM 5 Likes
Shameful-japan
hey! shut up
Like Reply
10/07/2012 10:22 AM in reply to The truth 3 Likes
Cleo
Collapse
Korea, I love you for doing this.
TIMES SQUARE!!!!!
Ha!
Like Reply
10/05/2012 11:10 PM 2 Likes F
Daniel
Garbage article.
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