Japan to face the "international court" for barbarity against comfort girls

The "international court for Japan's war crimes (forced sexual slavery) during the WWII" has been scheduled on Dec. 7 at the Tokyo gudan center, in order to redress the barbarity committed by the Japanese soldiers against the comfort girls.

The first-ever "international court" will be attended to by NGO's from eight plaintiff nations including the two Koreas, China, and Taiwan, and the defendant, Japan, a total of nine nations. Although the court lacks any legal binding force, it's ruling will nonetheless put pressure on the Japanese government to formally acknowledge and take responsibility of its past crime.

For the "international court", over 1,000 members of the international women's rights will attend with 220 coming from Korea and including 21 of the elderly women who had suffered as comfort girls. Acting as prosecutors representing Korea will be attorney Park Won-Soon, law professor at Sung-shin Women's University Cho Shi-Hyun, attorney Chang Wan-Ik including five others.

At the court which is scheduled to convene for five days, the prosecution teams from each of the nation will make their cases to the six-member panel of judges who are experts in international law, and through testimonies by the plaintiffs, bring about a decision.

Presented at the court will be a joint indictment which took 10 years in formulating through cooperation by those related to the comfort girl issue from both South and North Korea.

The joint indictment which is approximately 200 pages, following countless exchanges of faxes between organizations in South and North Korea carries the vivid testimonies of the elderly who were forced into sexual slavery.

The joint chairperson of the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan Kim Yoon-Ok pointing out that the "international court" was also the "women's court" and the "people's court" and was a historic first sponsored by women. She stated, "It will be an opportunity to announce to the world the reinstatement of honor, dignity and the restoration of human rights."

Soh Young-A sya@donga.com