Director Park Su-nam (left), who directed the film "Silence" about comfort women, attending a press conference held at the Yokohama Bar Association Hall in Japan on December 6, 2018. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] Two Japanese individuals who tried to prevent far-right figures from entering a screening venue showing a film about Japanese military comfort women victims were found guilty.
On the 3rd, the Yokohama District Court in Japan sentenced the two Japanese defendants, who were charged with assault and injury for trying to block a far-right group executive from entering the screening room at the Kanagawa Prefectural Civic Cultural Hall in 2018, to fines of 100,000 yen and 200,000 yen respectively. The film was "Silence," and the two were activists requested by the Silence Screening Committee to provide security.
The far-right group executive is known to be a member of the Japan First Party, which frequently makes anti-Korean remarks. During a confrontation on the stairs, the executive suddenly fell down the stairs and then reported assault to the police. The executive's side claimed they were pushed and fell, while the two Japanese individuals argued that the executive stumbled on their own and then pretended. Initially, the police closed the case as a scuffle-related incident, but after the prosecution ordered additional investigation, charges were filed, leading to a court battle.
In a situation where clear evidence of assault did not emerge, the local Japanese court appears to have sided with the far-right group executive.
Director Park Su-nam, the film's director, is reported to have expressed intentions to appeal.
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