Yoon Mi-hyang: "I Was Not Aware of the Japan-Korea Agreement in Advance... Fundamental Responsibility Lies with Both Governments"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Yoon Mee-hyang, the elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea, denied the claim that she was aware of the 2015 Korea-Japan agreement in advance, stating, "This is clearly not true."

At a National Assembly press conference on the day, Yoon said, "There are claims that I knew the contents of the Korea-Japan agreement beforehand but did not inform the grandmothers, including Halmoni Lee Yong-soo, but this is clearly not true."

She explained, "This fact was also confirmed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' statement," adding, "On the 12th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson briefed that the 'Report on the Review of the Korea-Japan Agreement on the Issue of Japanese Military Comfort Women Victims' specifically stated that the victims were not informed and their opinions were not collected."

Regarding suspicions that she blocked the grandmothers from receiving consolation money from the Japanese government after the Korea-Japan agreement, Yoon said, "We confirmed the intention to receive from all the grandmothers and allowed each to decide whether to receive it according to their own will," emphasizing, "I made it clear that receiving consolation money does not mean those grandmothers agreed with the Korea-Japan agreement, and rather, the fundamental responsibility for this issue lies with both governments."

She added, "I express deep regret over the fact that the diplomatic officials who unilaterally forced the agreement behind closed doors excluding the victim grandmothers are shifting the responsibility for the flawed agreement onto Jeongdaehyeop and me."