Opposition and Civic Groups: "Japan Forced Labor Government Solution Is Shameful... Must Be Withdrawn"

Citizens, Civil Society, and Opposition Parties Gather on National Assembly Main Building Stairs for Political Statement

The opposition and civil society condemned the government's solution to the forced mobilization during the Japanese colonial period and demanded its withdrawal.

On the afternoon of the 7th, the opposition parties and civil society groups held an "Emergency National Declaration Condemning the Government's Forced Mobilization Solution" on the steps in front of the National Assembly main building. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, said at the event, "This is truly shameful," adding, "The state is submissive, the people feel humiliated, and the victims feel insulted." He stated, "Third-party compensation without the consent of the victims is legally invalid," and "The victims say they do not want it. Without a sincere apology from the Japanese authorities for war crimes and compensation for the victims, this cannot be settled."

Lee said, "Although the Japanese government and the Korean government reached an agreement, it was an agreement between states, not a settlement of compensation for the illegal damages suffered by civilians," and "The Supreme Court has confirmed this clear fact." He added, "The Democratic Party of Korea must remember clearly how the Park Geun-hye administration was judged for the past comfort women agreement," and "We will fight to the end with the people against the Yoon administration's anti-historical, anti-human rights, and anti-national collusion and unilateral declaration."

Grandma Yang Geum-deok, a victim of forced mobilization, is speaking at an emergency press conference urging Japan to apologize and compensate, condemning the forced mobilization compensation solution enforcement, held on the stairs in front of the National Assembly main building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 7th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Lee Jung-mi, leader of the Justice Party, said, "Yesterday, the people were disheartened by President Yoon's so-called future-oriented decision," and "Our country's president acknowledged Japan's claims." She stated, "Colonial rule by Japan was illegal, and therefore the issue of forced labor is a common-sense Supreme Court ruling on forced mobilization that was denied by the president," and "It is frustrating to think of the Japanese government, which is emboldened by being given a free pass on responsibility for the war of aggression."

She said, "Our politics failed to protect the dignity of the grandmothers," and "We failed to heed the grandmothers' stern demand to bring a sincere apology first." Lee added, "We must all unite and fight against President Yoon's decision to bury the decades-long struggle of forced labor victims as his own achievement."

The participants criticized the government's forced mobilization solution through the national declaration, saying, "Has there ever been such a disastrous diplomatic fiasco in the history of the Republic of Korea's constitutional government, where the essence and the details are completely reversed?" and "It is a regression worse than the ‘2015 Korea-Japan Comfort Women Agreement’ and a great tragedy that neglects even the minimum role of the state."

They also said, "March 6, when the government announced the solution, will be recorded as the worst day in the history of the Republic of Korea's constitutional government and the second national humiliation day," and "We want to clearly show the consequences of this ‘give-and-take’ collusion, which proceeded while destroying history, erasing the blood and lives of the people, and abandoning judicial sovereignty."

Surviving victims of forced mobilization, Yang Geum-deok and Kim Seong-ju grandmothers, also attended the declaration. The grandmothers said, "Even if we starve to death, we will not accept that money. Why should we accept that money?"