Female president and old ‘comfort woman’

President Park Geun-hye was wearing white jacket while attending the commemorative ceremony for Liberation Day on August 15. Elderly woman Kim Bok-dong, a victim of Japanese military’s sex slave who participated in “Wednesday’s protest rally to resolve the Japanese military’s comfort women” held in front of the Japanese Embassy the previous day in Seoul, was also seen wearing white ramie fabric top.

The two people who were wearing clothes in the same color might have sympathized with each other through telepathy. At the protest rally, Kim criticized Japan that is denying apology and compensation, and said “President Park Chung-hee failed to resolve the issue, but his daughter President Park Geun-hye is urged to solve the comfort women issue as a woman like us.” In her congratulatory address, President Park told the Japanese government, “I urge (Japan) to take a responsible and sincere measure to enable people who are still living with pain and scars from past history to heal their torment.” To this writer who watched both the Liberation Day ceremony and Wednesday’s protest rally at the scene, Park’s remarks sounded like a reply to elderly woman Kim’s appeal.

Kim is one of the key figures who have always been participating at domestic and overseas events that are held to bring to light and condemn atrocities committed to comfort women by Japan. She also attended a ceremony to launch “Girl’s Statue of Peace” held in Glendale in the U.S. state of California on July 30. “If Japan does not surrender, we will erect a girl’s statue in Tokyo,” Kim told attendees that numbered more than 2,000 at Wednesday’s rally.

President Park used this year’s Liberation Day as an opportunity to present principles that are required for Japan to accept in order the two countries to develop into true partners for cooperation. Delivering her address, Park emphasized her message by articulating word by word. In the segment of her speech addressed to Japan, she showed determination that Korea would not leave unchecked Japan’s denial of responsibility for World War II and distortions of past history. Perhaps this could be comparable to the situation over the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Park,” over which she presented and insisted on keeping clear principles, to reach compromise with North Korea.

North Korea unilaterally suspended operation of the Kaesong Industrial Park at the pretext of what it calls “supreme dignity” which is not accepted by the South. It blocked entry of South Korean workers into the complex and withdrew North Korean workers, which constitutes a grave mistake that cannot be undone whatever excuse it makes. Getting accustomed to past practices, the North attempted to sway the South by alternatively using threat and dialogue as its bargaining chips, but the Park Geun-hye administration did not back down and remained unaffected. As showcased by the expression‍ in her Liberation Day speech, the Park administration steadfastly demanded the North to guarantee prevention of recurrence and internationalization of the complex “to correct misguided practices in inter-Korean relations.” The South Korean people, who perceived brinkmanship tactic in the North’s acts, also supported the South Korean government’s strong resolve.

Japan’s acts are not much different from those of North Korea. Japan’s denial of responsibility for World War II is an absurd act that can never be accepted in a civilized society. No citizens in a civilized country will be unable to recognize the hidden intention of Japan that “aims to become a country that could engage in war again,” lying behind the island country’s attempt to amend its pacifist Constitution and introduce the right to collective self-defense. In 2010, German President Horst Koehler resigned to take responsibility when his statement “In order for Germany highly dependent on trade to secure national interest, it needs military engagement to protect routes for free trade in an event of emergency” flared up controversy as being perceived as “artillery battleship diplomacy.” The more Japan tries to deny responsibility for the war and escape from the pacifist Constitution, the bigger gap in national integrity it will come to display versus Germany.

Gone is the era when crimes against humanity are tolerated as well. A visit to the Yasukuni shrine by Keiji Furuya, Japanese minister in charge of the kidnap issue, has graphically revealed Japan’s double standards on ethics and morality on humanity. Japan is urging North Korea to resolve kidnaping of Japanese nationals, saying that it cannot tolerate the North’s act from the humanitarian perspective. Japan has no ground to stand anywhere in the world, as it is constantly denying its own crimes against humanity that it afflicted to South Korea, while stubbornly raising issue with the North’s inhumane acts.

President Park should be obstinate and resolved towards Japan as she has been toward the North. The temperature hit 32 degrees Celsius at noon when Wednesday’s rally started on Wednesday. It is hoped that we will no longer have to see Kim, 88, take to the street amid scorching weather again to make an appeal to the president.