U-17 Asian Cup Japan Victory Sparks Continued 'Comfort Women Mockery'

Professor Seokyeongdeok: "Historical Pain Should Not Be Trivialized"

After South Korea lost to Japan in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-17 (U-17) Asian Cup, some netizens left comments mocking the victims of the Japanese military 'comfort women,' sparking controversy.

Derogatory comments mocking Japanese military 'comfort women' victims on the official AFC Asian Cup Instagram [Photo by Professor Seokyung Deok Facebook]

On the 5th, Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University announced that he sent a protest email to the AFC regarding comments mocking the victims of the Japanese military 'comfort women' posted on the official AFC Asian Cup Instagram after the AFC Asian Cup match.

Earlier, on the 2nd (local time), after South Korea lost 0-3 to Japan in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup final held in Thailand, comments mocking the victims of the Japanese military 'comfort women' appeared in the comment section of the official AFC Asian Cup Instagram, such as "The final was a match between Japanese soldiers and Korean women," and "Japan likes Korean virgins."

Derogatory comment mocking Japanese military 'comfort women' victims on AFC Asian Cup official Instagram [Photo by Professor Seokyung Deok Facebook]

In response, Professor Seo Kyung-duk stated, "It is not clear whether these are far-right Japanese netizens, but it is absolutely unacceptable to trivialize historical pain at a sacred sports event," and added, "I sent a protest email demanding swift action from the AFC."

He reportedly attached a video related to the Japanese military 'comfort women' to the email and emphasized, "I hope the AFC faces the history of Asia and once again recognizes the importance of women's human rights." Professor Seo also added, "Looking back, such incidents have continuously occurred online, but it seems to be getting worse recently, which is truly concerning."