Yohei Kono talks about Japanese army’s forced sexual slavery of women

Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, who initially acknowledged the Japanese army’s forced sexual slavery and expressed regret, revealed on Wednesday that former Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa also acknowledged the coercive nature of recruiting women into prostitution by the Japanese military. This information was disclosed in an oral statement available on the Japanese House of Representatives website.

In the August 1993 Kono statement, Yohei Kono admitted that Korean women were forcibly recruited into prostitution by the imperial Japanese army through a state-led campaign during the war. He extended an apology and expressed regret for the irreparable harm suffered by those affected.

In the recent oral statement, Kono clarified that the 1993 Kono Statement was endorsed by the then-prime minister, refuting arguments suggesting it was a mere remark by the secretary rather than an official cabinet apology.

Kono rejected claims that there was no coercion in the recruitment of wartime sex slaves, stating, “Of course, there are no official records. The military wouldn’t want such records to be public. The cabinet promptly destroyed military records on the day the war ended.”

The Japanese cabinet is currently compiling oral statements from its chief secretary and vice secretary, recognizing their historical value. Yohei Kono has been selected as the first individual whose oral statements will be compiled and published.

Kono also shared an anecdote involving former South Korean former President Kim Dae-jung. Recalling their interaction, Kono mentioned that his fellow cabinet member introduced him to Kim, whom his colleague described as an excellent politician. “Despite Kim’s sentencing to death, he later became the president of South Korea. Although I was not holding any specific position at the time, Kim extended a personal invitation to his inaugural ceremony,” Kono said. “We had a meal together. We were on very good terms.”


sanghun@donga.com