Verbal Clash Between Korea and Japan at the UN Over Comfort Women Issue Indicates Difficulty in Improving 'Hanil Relations'

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] South Korea and Japan are engaged in a heated debate in the international community over the comfort women issue. It is anticipated that improving Korea-Japan relations will be difficult due to the comfort women and Dokdo issues.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 25th, South Korea and Japan clashed over the comfort women issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council on the 24th (local time).

Japan rebutted Foreign Ministry Second Vice Minister Choi Jong-moon’s keynote speech at the Human Rights Council held the previous day, in which he asserted that “the issue of Japanese military comfort women is a universal human rights issue.”

The Japanese delegation to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, stated at the 46th regular session that they could not accept the speech on February 23, citing the 2015 Korea-Japan comfort women agreement.

In exercising their right of reply, Japan argued, “The governments of both countries confirmed to refrain from criticism and condemnation of this issue in the UN and other international forums,” and “Japan has implemented all promised measures, including the payment of 1 billion yen, in accordance with this agreement.”

They also referred to last month’s Seoul Central District Court ruling ordering the Japanese government to compensate comfort women victims, stating, “We deeply regret and cannot accept this. It clearly violates international law and the bilateral agreement.”

However, the South Korean government’s position differs. The Korean delegation in Geneva rebutted, stating, “The essence of the comfort women issue is a human rights violation involving sexual violence committed during conflict, and this is a universal human rights issue.”

They added, “Considering that the Korea-Japan comfort women agreement is an official agreement between the two countries, the government will not make additional claims, but this does not prevent the victims from raising issues,” and “We cannot accept Japan’s claim that the Seoul Central District Court ruling violates international law by invoking the principle of ‘state immunity,’ which states that a sovereign state does not appear in another country’s court.”

They explained that the theory of state immunity is neither permanent nor absolute, and that the court also ruled that state immunity should not be recognized in cases of serious anti-humanitarian illegal acts.

Furthermore, the South Korean government stated that it will continue to communicate with the victims to resolve this universal human rights issue.

Earlier, on the 23rd, Foreign Ministry Second Vice Minister Choi Jong-moon participated via a pre-recorded video in the high-level segment of the Human Rights Council, stating, “The tragedy of comfort women should be treated as a universal human rights issue, and the recurrence of such serious human rights violations must be prevented.”

In response, Japan’s government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu, said at a regular press conference on the 24th, “From our country’s (Japan’s) perspective, we cannot accept the remarks of Vice Minister Choi at all, given the Korea-Japan agreement confirming the final and irreversible resolution of the comfort women issue.”

Kato added, “Yesterday (the 23rd) Ambassador Yamazaki expressed this view to the Korean side in Geneva, and we plan to appropriately assert our country’s position during the exercise of the right of reply.”