Messages to the US mass media about comfort women issue

I sent an email message shown below to many American mass media because many Americans are misunderstanding Japan due to misleading by a part of the US mass media.

Dear all mass media of the United States of America:

I am one of Japanese who lives in the US as a permanent resident and love this country as well as Japan.  Please understand that I use an anonymous.  It is for securing the safety of myself, my family and my property.

In the past several years, many Americans have known the comfort women issue between Japan and South Korea.  The US House of Representatives adopted a resolution to blame Japan about comfort women issues (United States House of Representatives House Resolution 121 [H.Res.121]) in 2007.  More recently, comfort women statues have been built in some local cities in the US.  These were the consequence of the powerful lobbing anti-Japan activity by certain people.  I am feeling sad and strong angry against these situation, because the statements being spread by anti-Japan campaign are lies.

Very recently in July 2013, The Los Angels Times (LAT) published an article that insulted Japanese who protested the unveiling comfort women statue in Glendale, CA, by calling them “nationalists”.  No doubt that the journalist did not know anything about comfort women issue and just believed blindly in statements by anti-Japan propaganda.

LAT article: Japanese nationalist protest of 'comfort women'sculpture fails

Currently, many Americans are misunderstanding Japan due to misleading by a part of American mass media.  American children will learn wrong history and have bad prejudice about Japan.  These situations will definitely threat good relation and mutual trust between Japan and the US in the future.  As many as 85% Japanese people see the US favorably, so Japanese people prefer being constructive for the future with the US and would want to avoid conflicts by criticizing long-past mistreatment of Japan by the US.  However, if Americans continue unfair assistance of anti-Japan campaign, public opinions criticizing the US would become larger and larger in Japan, which would never be good for our future between Japan and the US.

Such public opinions criticizing the US are about the misbehavior of the US military during and after World War II (WW2).  Mass murder of 330 thousand general Japanese citizens by bombing over 200 cities including 100 thousand Japanese in “only one” night by bombing Tokyo, on March 10^h 1945.  Two atomic bombs killing 300 thousand people (not including victims suffering from long-lasting radiation damage).  American soldiers raped 30 thousand Japanese women/girls during seven years of occupation of Japan.  In order to prevent the rape, brothels were built in many locations in Japan at the request from the US military.

My message here is neither for rewriting history nor for denying faults that Japan made during WW2 and Japan’s occupation of Korea or even not for blaming misbehaviors by the US military in the past.  We should not argue which one was more evil in WW2, but should know the true history.  I would like you stop listening blindly to only statements by anti-Japan campaign and you listen to statements from Japanese.  I believe it is fair and democratic process.  True journalists would seek for the truth and publish for fairness and justice.

In addition, American mass media and politicians must keep in your mind that the comfort women issue is also used for the plot to drive a wedge into the Japan-U.S. alliance.  “Global Alliance for Preserving History of WWII in Asia” (Global alliance) is a group of Chinese-Americans aiming for discounting Japan by spreading the false history of Japan.  It was true that a Congressman, Mike Honda who played the central role to adopt H.Res.121, received political payoffs from Global Alliance.  Please think who would take the best advantage as the consequence of the aggravation of the Japan-U.S. relationship.

The comfort women issue is very complex and requires much information to remove your misunderstanding, so the large contents supporting my statements in this message are too much to be put in an email message.  So, I uploaded the contents in the following URL for your true understanding. 

A link to: Truth Seeker for Comfort Women Issue

 

Please visit it and use the contents for your study.  If you read all texts and see associated videos and articles soon, it would be so much appreciated.  If you are too busy to see everything for a while, please watch at least videos A, B, C, F, H and read chapters 3, 10, 11 15 and 16, which are particularly quite important.

To avoid your misunderstanding of my message, please let me repeatedly say that I really desire good relation and mutual trust and benefits between Japan and the United States of America now and in the future, but which are currently going to encounter the crisis due to the unfair anti-Japan campaign.  Please know the truth.  

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Sincerely yours, 

Truth Seeker for comfort women issue

The contents include following topics:

1, Statements by anti-Japan campaign:

2, Japanese journalist represented Japanese statements

    Video A

3, Chinese-American organization working behind the scene

4, What was the truth of comfort women?

    Video B, Video C and Video D

5, Comfort women were mobilized by Korean men

6, Were comfort women sex slaves?

7, Were all Imperial Japanese soldiers gentlemen for comfort women?

    Video E

8, Japan’s compensation for the sufferings of South Koreans

9, South Korean government stole compensation for individual war victims

    Video F

10, Japan’s apology and Asian Women’s Fund

11, South Koreans refused to receive the compensation and apology

12, Was Japan the same as Nazi? – Review Japan-Korea annexation-

13, Background of Japan-Korea annexation

14, Korean patriots desired Japan-Korea Annexation

15, South Koreans hate Japan, Taiwanese like Japan, why?

    Video G

16, The Comfort women issues arose from Japanese commie’s lie.   

    Video H

17, No freedom of speech favoring Japan in South Korea

18, Who is the true ally for the US? Japan or South Korea?

    Video I and Video K

19, Japan needs co-operation from the US citizens.

20, For the future to protect the dignity and rights of women

    Video L

Chapter 1: Statements by anti-Japan campaign:

#1: 200,000 Korean women and girls were forced against their will to work as comfort women by Imperial Japanese Army. 

#2: Comfort women were forced to serve as sex slaves by Imperial Japanese Army.  Comfort women were collected by kidnapping and human-trafficking by the order of Imperial Japanese Army

#3, Japanese government has neither apologized nor compensated for the sufferings of Koreans that were brought by Japan during Japan’s occupation of Korea and WW2. 

#4, Comfort women victims is the same as the Holocaust victims by Nazi

Chapter 2: Japanese journalist represented the summary of statements

A Japanese journalist, Mr. Yoshihisa Komori was interviewed on the comfort women issue for the PBS series Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria On March 29, 2007.  He well summarized about comfort women issue.  He told that Imperial Japanese army never coerced the recruitment of comfort wowen in Asia by its policy.  Of course, not forcing them to be sex slaves.  Except for it, Japan has been admitting and regretting all Japan’s faults that were facts, accepting punishment, apologizing and compensating for Asian countries.  However, Japan is still being blamed by the US regarding comfort women issue.  Why by the US?  What we should do further?  Mr. Komori represented the feelings of all Japanese people.  He also told about diplomatic intrigue by China to dishonor Japan internationally.   

Video A: Japanese journalist spoke about comfort women issue in the US TV program

 

Below in chapters 3~17, I provide essential information to explain the reason why Mr Komori’s statement is fair. 

Chapter 3, Chinese-Americans organization working behind the scene

Global Alliance For Preserving the History of WWII in Asia (Global Alliance) is a organization established by Chinese-Americans and headquatered in Cupertino, CA, that is the district in the electoral district of a member of the US representatives, Mike Honda.  If you see only the web page of the Global Alliance, you wound not see the true purpose of the organization.   English wiki also does not tell you the truth, but Japanese wiki tells the facts that Global Alliance does not want to let you know.  Such high discrepancy in contents is also seen on comfort women issue between en.wiki and jp.wiki.  Of course, en.wiki is biased favoring anti-Japan activities, which teaches a lesson to us when searching for information.

The true purpose of the Global Alliance is anti-Japan campaign by spreading the false history about Japan. This anti-Japan organization exaggerates war crimes of Japan and criticizes the compensation and the apology of Japan in order to mislead public opinions in the whole world to extreme under-evaluation or even no accept of Japan’s compensation and apology. 

Mr Komori reported in JBPress (sorry in Japanese) that there exist political organizations to be called anti-Japan Korean-Americans lobby, but such organizations do not play central role in anti-Japan campaign regarding comfort women issue, but rather such Korean-American organizations are just led and supported by Global Alliance.  Mike Honda, who played the central role to adopt H.Res.121, received political payoffs from Global Alliance.  Please think who would take the best advantage as the consequence of the aggravation of the Japan-U.S. relationship and of weakening of Japan in Asia.

It is often being said that all Asian countries don’t evaluate Japan’s compensation and apology and they don't like Japan, but which is the consequence of anti-Japan propaganda by Global Alliance.  American research agency, Pew Research Center, recently published a data on how Japan is seen from Asian countries.  The truth is, countries that hate Japan and adopt anti-Japan as the national policy are only China, South Korea and North Korea.

Chapter 4: What was the truth of comfort women?

Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Dutch, Indonesian women were recruited as comfort women.  Private brokers recruited “comfort women” at the request from the Imperial Japanese military.  Imperial Japanese soldiers received sexual service from comfort women during WW2.  These were true.  However, all #1~#4 statements by anti-Japan campaign (chapter 1) are not acceptable at all. 

First of all, comfort women were prostitutes who were recruited by the owners of brothels and who earned high salary that are now equivalent to more than $30,000 a month at present day money value.  Comfort women had very different reasons to become prostitutes.  Those who just wanted to make money.  Those who were sold by their parents due to extreme poverty and were forced to work at brothels.  Those who were scammed by the false information from the recruiter regarding how the job was like.

Although Imperial Japanese military requested private brokers/brothel owners to gather comfort women and transported them to the frontline of battlefield, Imperial Japanese army supervised private brokers and the owners of brothels not to treat comfort women against their will.  During Japan’s occupation of Korean peninsula, 70% of police officers were Koreans.  If Imperial Japanese soldiers had kidnapped or abducted Korean women to make them sex slaves, it would have been very strange that there have NOT been any police officers or comfort women’s relatives who watched and witnessed such misbehavior by Imperial Japanese army. 

To understand nearly all about comfort women issue and the background, it is the best to watch the following video B and video C.  Please watch them. 

Video B:  Demythologizationof the myth of the Comfort Women: Part1.

Video C:  Endangered Japan:Book2: Sex, Lies, and Comfort Women 

 

A Japanese journalist Gemki Fujii recently published a video (Video D), in which he explains that testimonies by the former comfort women were distorted and spread for the purpose of anti-Japan propaganda (from min 9/10 min through 21/22 min in the total >50 min video).   

Ms. Lee Yong-soo and Ms. Kim Koon-ja testified at the public hearing held by the US House of Representative on Feb 15, 2007 and did never testify that Japanese or Imperial Japanese Army/public authority was involved when they began to work at brothels.  Their testimonies indicate Chinese or Korean private brothel brokers were involved.  Ms. Kim Hak-soon filed a lawsuit against Japanese government in Dec 1991.  Her official petition presented at the Tokyo District Court that she was adopted by a Korean guy due to the poverty of her family and he sold her to Kisaeng (traditional Korean Entertainer = prostitute).  Ms. Moon Ok-chu published her autobiography describing that she earned huge money by prostitution and was proud of sending money to her parents. 

As described in video A, B and C, there were poor comfort women who had to work as prostitute by many diverse reasons.  I would like to show deep sympathy to those comfort women victims who had tough experience.  Here, I want to emphasize that testimonies of the former Korean comfort women were distorted to create fabricated proof in order to spread lies for discounting Japan.  

Chapter 5: Comfort women were mobilized by Korean men

I also want to introduce a book written by an American Journalist, Mr. Bruce Cumings.

According to his book entitled "Korea's Place in the Sun" (available at Amazon.com), many Korean women were mobilized to serve by “Korean Men”.  I want to emphasize that Mr. Cumings is not a Japonophile, because he stands on South Korea’s side regarding the issue on the name of “Japan Sea” located between Japan and Korean Peninsula.  South Korea claims that “Japan Sea”, which is internationally accepted, should be renamed "East Sea" as it is located in the East of Korean peninsula.

Recently-published book entitled “帝国の慰安婦 (Comfort women of the Empire)” written by South Korean female scholar, Professor Park Yu-ha (朴裕河) who is a professor of Sejong University described that comfort women were mobilized by Korean private brokers.

Chapter 6: Were comfort women sex slaves?

The answer is no.  I want to emphasize there is a very solid proof denying Korean statements.  

A link to: The U.S. military official document “Japanese Prisoner of War Interrogation Report No. 49.”

The document exclusively and vividly shows how well comfort women were treated and they were not sex slaves but were recruited.  The document that was prepared by US Army in 1944 shows how the comfort women were treated at the comfort station.  Comfort women got paid high salary, not sex slaves, nothing more than prostitutes.  They could retire as they wanted, they went shopping in holidays, they enjoyed recreation with Imperial Japanese soldiers, some of them were proposed marriage from Imperial Japanese soldiers and it came true in some cases.  Were the comfort women sex slaves?  This document is used in videos B and video D shown above, but I bring it because it is very solid and convincing proof because in 1944 Japan was still enemy of the US.

In August 2013, Korean male scholar Ahn Byung-Jik (安秉直), the professor emeritus at Seoul University, discovered diary written by a Korean man who worked at comfort stations in Burma and Singapore in 1943 and 1944.  The dates of certain events described in the diaries are well consistent with those in the US military’s report, so his diaries are credible.  The contents also similar to the U.S. military official document “Japanese Prisoner of War Interrogation Report No. 49" indicating that comfort women were nothing more than prostitutes and that they had freedom to quit, they enjoyed watching movies shown by Japanese army.  Prof. emeritus Ahn Byung-Jik told at the press that private brokers gathered comfort women and that Imperial Japanese army did not need to abduct Korean women.

To be fair, introduced is one passage from the diary describing that two comfort women who had quit because of their marriages had been ordered to return by army logistics. The policy of Imperial Japanese army did not accept any sort of forced sex labor during WW2, but the diary showed the case when the military law was violated at the front line of battlefields.  

Those two comfort women must have been looking for their upcoming marriage, so I would show deep sympathy to them.  However, one thing needs to be noted, because the US military report (see above) and the diary reported good relation between comfort women and Japanese soldiers.  The diary did not tell whether the two comfort women were forced to return against their strong refusal, or, they were willing to return to satisfy the army's request for Imperial Japanese soldiers and to make more money.  The diary indicates that Imperial Japanese Army requested ex-comfort women to return, but it does not always mean that Imperial Japanese Army enforced comfort women to serve against their will.

Mistreatment of prisoner of war (POW) is not allowed by the international law Geneva Conventions.  However, it has been occasionally violated by any countries' military, perhaps it is because soldiers are exposed to severe mental stresses in the front of battlefield.  Comfort women were different from POW, but since long time ago to present days, the management in letting soldiers observe military discipline has been an issue.

Chapter 7: Were all Imperial Japanese soldiers gentlemen for comfort women?

Unfortunately, the answer was no.  Imperial Japanese army did not allow brokers and brothel owners to treat comfort women against their will.  However, there was a violation against military law, which happened in Java Island Indonesia.  Unfortunately, at least seven Dutch girls were treated as sex slaves in a military brothel for whole two~three month.  It must have been tough.  It was a totally violation against human rights.  They were the victims. 

A link to: Comfort women from Australian War Memorial (Dutch girl victims)

However, this story did not end.  The following sentences were cited from
Video E, GEISHA, TONY BLAIR & COMFORT WOMEN (by Mr. YujiroTamiya)

“However, that is not the end of the story. When the high rank Imperial Japanese military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Odajima Kaoru, he flew from Tokyo and found out this brothel which was opened in Feb 1944. He immediately ordered to shut it down.  Those who committed the crime were later convicted at BC-class war crime court and punished (including at least one by hanging).

The case in Java clearly indicates that Imperial Japanese Army did not allow sex slavery during WW2. “

I am not sure whether the case like Java (i.e., an organized crime by Imperial Japanese army) might be the sole example or not.  Even if there were other cases, the victims might not report because such case is very difficult matter for female victims to report in those days and also in present days.  

Chapter 8: Japan’s compensation for the sufferings of South Koreans

Japan and South Korea signed the treaty in 1965 to settle the past

 A link to: “Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of Korea Concerning the Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims and Economic Cooperation (1965)“

 

By this treaty, Japan paid $300M free compensation ($300M in 1965 is equivalent to ~$6.5B economic power value of that income or wealth in 2012 [calculated at http://www.measuringworth.com]) and loaned $200M at low rate for long-term.  In the Article II of the treaty, it is noted that “The High Contracting Parties confirm that the problems concerning property, rights, and interests of the two High Contracting Parties and their peoples (including juridical persons) and the claims between the High Contracting Parties and between their peoples, including those stipulated in Article IV(a) of the Peace Treaty with Japan signed at the city of San Francisco on September 8, 1951, have been settled completely and finally.”  Thus, all issues between Japan and South Korean individuals and parties (government and companies) were solved completely by this treaty. 

Chapter 9: South Korean government stole compensation for individual victims

A link to: A story later than the settlement by the treaty 

In the treaty, Japanese government actually proposed to the Korean counterpart to compensate individual victims directly, but South Korean government insisted that it would handle individual compensation to its citizens and then received the whole amount of grants on the behalf of victims.  However, the South Korean government used most of the grants for economic development, failing to provide adequate compensation to victims and had not disclosed the facts for 40 years.  This is the reason why the majority of South Koreans believe that Japan has not compensated, yet.   

In addition to the compensation and government low-rate loan to South Korea from Japan by the treaty in 1965, Japan has been offering economic and technological assistance to South Korea.  The following URL of Japan ministry of foreign affairs indicates that the sum of economic and technological assistance until 1998 reached total $3.6B for loan assistance (including $200M government loan by the Japan-Korea treaty [1965]), $234M for free grant aid and $914M for donations for technical cooperation, which are equivalent to at least $20B~$30B at present day money value.  

 Economic and technological assistance to South Korea from 1965 to 1998

Here is the table indicating economic and technological assistance to South Korea from Japan in each year from 1965 through 1998 (unit: ￥100M).

In 1997, South Korea and other Asian countries fell into a currency crisis.  The economy of South Korea was saved by total $55B financial aids from the world, to which IMF, Japan and the US contributed by $21B, $10B and $5, respectively.  $10B from a single country was the largest aid.  The South Korean government also has not disclosed these economic aids from Japan to its citizens at all, yet. 

An American citizen summarized the Japan-South Korea treaty [1965] and explained the true aim of the anti-Japan campaign by South Korean.  He said, it's for money.

Video F: Comfort Women -- compensation, then, now, and in the future?

 

Chapter 10: Japan’s apology and Asian Women’s Fund

Japanese politicians have been publishing their statements to regret or to apologize for the sufferings that Japan brought to Korean and Chinese people

in the past.  Here is the link for those statements.

link to: List of war apology statements issued byJapan

 

 

Asian Women’s Fund

As described above, Japan paid compensation for individual victims by the treaty (1965).  However, Japanese government established Asian Women’s Fund in 1994 to show Japan’s regret for the sufferings of the former comfort women and pay compensation further.  Prostitution was legal in those days, but Japanese government judged based on the ethic sense in present days (in other words, modern values) and apologized for the use of comfort women by Imperial Japanese army and the sufferings of comfort women who worked against their will.

Link to: Asian Women’s Fund

Japanese government owned the cost of ~$5M to establish and run the fund and to conduct medical and welfare projects as well as other similar projects which are of service to former comfort women.  The compensation paid to the former comfort women was collected by donations (the sum reached $6M) from mostly Japanese people to the fund.

Asian Women’s Fund distributed compensation (ave. 2,000,000 yen per person depending on the money value of each country) to the former comfort women in South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, the Netherlands, and Indonesia and the letter of apology signed by Japan prime minister (see below)

.  

                    The letter of apology signed by Japan prime minister

Chapter 11: South Koreans refused to receive the compensation and apology

The story did not end.  This project was not finished satisfactorily, because the most of the former comfort women ONLY in South Korea did refused to receive Japanese Prime Minister's letter of apology and benefits from the Fund's atonement projects.  The South Korean Government disfavored the funds, basically because the compensation was not paid from Japan’s state fund but from donations from Japanese people.  Because the Japan-Korea Treaty in 1965 already solved the Japan-Korea issues, Japan could not pay directly to the former comfort women.  Otherwise, all other international treaty between Japan and other countries would be ruined.  The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, or "Chongdaehyop," mounted a vigorous campaign against the Asian Women's Fund, and because of criticism in the media, as well.

In the video F shown above, a fair opinion by the US citizen is introduced.  I also want to introduce active debetes in 
A link to: The Marmot’s Hole _ Korea..in Blog Format

This is a blog run by American journalist Mr. Robert Koehler about comfort women issue.  Here, some comments are introduced.  See text in "   "  .

“These memorials are part of a continuous effort to shame the Japanese into making apologies which will never be sufficient in the eyes of Koreans.  This isn't a "monument" to anyone who values the humanity.  It is the equivalent of the Dokdo video being played on the Times Square billboard.  Political posturing...nothing more.”

 “In any war there is rape and mistreatment of women, and in World War II there was rape and mistreatment of women on all sides, so it is unfair to focus only on the Japanese comfort woman system, especially when the system was created to help prevent rape.”

I thank Mr. PropagandaBuster who created Video F and Mr. Robert Koehler, as they provided opportunities to Americans to analyze comfort women issue with calm eyes.  However, I believe such role should be done by big mass media such as New York Times, Los Angels Times, etc, because big mass media lead public opinions.  In this regard, New York Times and Los Angels Times are pathetic journalism, since their articles stood on the view that was deflected only to anti-Japan parties and therefore they already lost their exalted spirit that the true journalism is supposed to have, i.e., truth, fairness and justice. 

I really desire to the US big mass media stop listening to only anti-Japan parties, review the contents provided here and publish the truth of the comfort women issue, if they want to be true journalists that seek for the truth and justice. 

Chapter 12: Was Japan the same as Nazi? – Review Japan-Korea annexation-

The answer is no.  Many American people may misunderstand about Japan’s occupation of Korea in 1910-1945.  Comparing with Holocaust by itself is definitely wrong.  In case of Holocaust, there were clear evidences and the crimes were made by Nazi’s policy.  In addition, Japan’s occupation of Korea was quite different from what European countries did in India, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.  European countries colonized Asian countries and terribly mis-treated the people, whereas Japan’s occupation of Korea was annexation, not colonization.  Japan did the same thing in Taiwan as well.  Japan tried to make Korea and Taiwan developed as modern countries.  I just bring some data to make you convinced that Japan’s occupation of Korean Peninsula was not colonization.

The data shown here is cited from the following book about Japan-Korea Annexation, written by a scholar, Professor Choi, Ki-Ho (崔基鎬) who is currently a visiting professor of Kaya University in South Korea.  

日韓併合 (in Japanese)

Before Japan’s occupation of Korea, Korea had been governed by Joseon dynasty (1392 - 1910) and extremely poor country.  Small number of privileged people called “Yangban” occupied the most of the wealth and Yangban plagued  the farmers, the majority of Koreans.  During the Joseon dynasty era, the polulation of Korean peninsula decreased dramatically because of the tyranny.  The population was 18.04 million in 1804, 13.13 million in 1910 when Japan started occupation.  On the other hand, the population increased to 25.53 million in 1943. 

Why?  It was because Japan spent so much money to develop Korea as a modern country and aimed to make all Koreans happy.  Indeed, slavery was abolished during the governance by Japan.  Japan compensated two third of governmental expense of Korea and invested for infrastructure such as railroad, hydroelectric power plant，sewer system, caused industries, built hospitals and many others.  For railroad, Japan totally invested 250M yen that is equivalent to $75 Billion of present day money value.  During the first 10 years of Japan’s occupation, the area of agriculture field was increased nearly double.  Korea’s expense to buy industrial products in 1914 was 73k yen, but increased to 2.5M yen in 1940, indicating the over 30-fold increase of economic strength of Korea during Japan’s occupation. 

The education system in Korea before Japan-Korea annexation was poor.  Only 16,000 children were learning at schools before Japan’s occupation. In the end of Japan’s occupation in 1944, the number of schools was increaed to 5,243 where 240 million children were learning.  There was 15 thousand-fold increase in student number.  Japan established even an imperial university for higher education in Korea (in Taiwan as well). 

Thus, during Japan-Korea annexation, Korean’s education level became much higher and they were able to read and write words of both Japanese and Hangul (Korean language).   The economic strength was significantly increased.  As previously described, Korean accounted for 70% of police officers.  There were also many teachers at schools.  I am not sure about how many but there was/were the chief of a police station, judge, public prosecutor.  

 According to jp.wiki Re: Korean in Inperial Japanese military, there were 126,047 Korean military civilian employees and 116,294 Korean military men that included three major general and six lieutenant  general.  In 1938-1943, totally over 8 million Korean men applied for the enlistment to the Japanese armed forces out of 25.5 million population in 1943.  The recruited number of military men in the 6 years was only 17,364. 

The former South Korean President, Park Chung-hee(朴 正煕, 1917-1979), who is a father of the current President, Park Geun-hye (朴 槿惠), graduated Japanese Imperial Army Academy in Japan.  After graduating third in the class of 1944, Park was commissioned as a lieutenant in Japan's elite Kwantung Army, and served during the final stages of World War II.

A link to: Park Chung-hee

Thus, Koreans in Imperial Japanese military participated in WW2 as Japanese.  Like other >6,000 Japanese military men, 129 military men were punished for their war crime in BC-class war criminal court after the war.  14 Korean military men were punished by death penalty.

If you fairly review these historical facts, you would understand it is never likely that Japan treated Koreans like Nazi’s treatment of Jew, but rather Japan treated Koreans as Japanese so that both Japanese and Koreans can thrive together under the severe international situation as described below.  Of course, it was a too big challenge and a mistake that Japan attempted to assimilates another ethnic group in Japan.  

Anyway, it would be never likely that Imperial Japanese military took a policy to abduct Korean women and make them sex slaves.  However, Korean students do never have opportunities to learn at schools about good aspects of Japan’s occupation of Korea and believe lies of comfort women issue. 

Chapter 13: Background of Japan-Korea annexation

I should also explain why Japan occupied Korean peninsula for your full understanding of comfort women issue.  It was simply because of national security against Russia.  In 17^th ~19^th century, Western powers colonized African and Asian countries.  In mid 19^th century, there were few countries left not colonized by Western Powers. Those are China, Korea, Thailand, etc.  Japan was afraid of being colonized by, in particular, Russia.  After the first (1840-1842) and second (1856-1860) Opium War happened between Qing Empire (the former China) and British, Russia empire colonized far-east Eurasia such as Хабаровский край and robbed Qing empire’s territory that were northern than Amur river, which is now boundary between China and Russia.

Since the end of 14^th century, Joseon dynasty (the former Korea before 1910) had been a vassal state of the Ming and Qing Empires.  It was one of the most poor country in the world.  To defend Japan from Russia, Japan wanted Joseon dynasty to become independent from the Qing Empire and modernized country possessing military power to tolerate invasion by Russian empire. 

To release Jeseon dynasty from the control by the Qing Empire, the First Sino-Japanese War (1894) was caused by Japan.  This war would lead to Russo-Japanese War (1904) and Japan’s occupation of Manchuria (1932 – 1945, north-east part of present China), the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), and finally the pacific war (1941-1945) between Japan and the US that did not want the expansion of Japan’s territory in China and that provided arms and ammunition to Kuomintang Party that was led by CHIANG Kai-Shek.

Chatper 14: Korean patriots desired Japan-Korea Annexation

The reason why I explained about modern history of East Asia is that I want to emphasize that there were also many Korean people who were concerned about the future of Korea because of the terrible situation in politics and economy (as proven by the decrease in population).  The people’s life and the economy were terrible during and in the end of Joseon dynasty.  Intellectuals of Joseon dynasty were concerned about the threat to be colonized by Russian empire.  One of true patriots was Lee Wan-yong (李完用) who was the prime minister of Korea and signed the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, which placed Korea under Japanese rule in 1910.

Such patriots like Lee Wan-yong thought that Japan-Korea annexation was the only way to save Korea from the threat by Russian Empire and European powers. Thus, Korean intellectuals wanted Japan-Korea annexation and perhaps the majority of Korean were not interested at all because of their poverty.  Unfortunately, Lee Wan-yong is currently considered as a traitor in South Korea, because nothing is taught at schools in South Korea about the background of Japan-Korea annexation.  In South Korea, students learn only distorted history about Japan and blindly believe that Japan was evil.

Chapter 15: South Koreans hate Japan, Taiwanese people like Japan, why?

Despite Japan governed both Korea and Taiwan nearly by the same way, South Koreans hate Japan, whereas Taiwanese like Japan.  Why this difference happens? 

South Korea:

South Korea utilizes comfort women issue to take advantageous positions in diplomatic negotiation with Japan.  For example, Japan and Korea have a conflict on Takeshima Islands (Dokdo called by Koreans).  Regarding this issue, the US diplomat, Douglass MacArthur II, sent a telegram to the US Department of State and admitted the sovereignty of Japan for the island.  Please visit the following URL and watch a video. 

A link to:  Telegram 3470 to the Department of State from Douglass MacArthur II

Video G: Takeshima Islands belong to Japan

It is well known that China has very serious domestic issues such as bribery and corruption of local and central governmental officials and politicians.  There is extremely significant gap between the rich and the poor in China.  South Korea also has the similar issues, but which is not much known to the world.

Economy of South Korea is largely relying on the export, but only several big financial groups such as Sumsung and Hundai occupy the half.  It indicates that the wealth in South Korea is distributed highly unevenly to the people.  Their culture is affected by Confucianism and therefore Koreans value relations through blood.  Consanguinity is critical in getting jobs, making good business, etc, and is  valued more than the nation.  The consequence of these issues appeared by the facts that the four or five previous South Korean Presidents (or their family/relatives) were arrested regarding their crimes relating to corruption.  No exceptions!  To vent dissatisfaction and frustration of the masses in South Korea, the government has been utilizing anti-Japan campaign.


A Japanese Economist, Mr. Takaaki Mitsuhashi states that in addition to such social issues, inferiority complex of Koreans exists in the basis of the comfort women issue.  According to him, Korean peninsula had been under the influence of the continent all the time since 13^th century.  In particular, Joseon dynasty had been a vassal state of the Ming and Qing Empires.  After WW2, Korea became independent countries, but did not gain independence by themselves, but were given the independence as the consequence of Japan’s surrender.  Due to these historical background, Koreans have inferior complex.  Mr. Mitsuhashi said that South Koreans would never stop anti-Japan campaign unless they excel Japan in economy, politics, military power, culture, etc. 

Taiwan:

On the other hand, Japan governed Taiwan from 1895 to 1945.  Like Japan's occupation of Korea, Japan also invested huge amount of money for infrastructure such as railroad, power plant，sewer system, irrigation, caused industries, built hospitals and schools and many others.  Japan abolished Taiwanese custom of the opiate absorption.  It was quite opposite from British that sold opium to Quing Empire (old China before 1912) in order to plunder wealth from it and to make the people ignorant masses.  After WW2, Kuomintang Party led by CHIANG Kai-Shek governed Taiwan.  Reign of terror by Kuomintang Party continued for long time.  There were the killing and imprisonment of tens of thousands of dissidents in the 1950s and 60s (see BBC news below).  The politics/governance brought from China mainland was smeared in corruption and injustice, because of which Taiwanese missed Japan’s occupation that allowed neither fraud nor corruption.

A link to: BBC news "Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has apologized for the killing and imprisonment of tens of thousands of dissidents in the 1950s and 60s"

A Taiwanese businessman, Mr. Konsan Sai (蔡焜燦, 1927-) who manages an IT company called「偉詮電子股分有限公司」admired Japan’s occupation of Taiwan in his booked entitled 

”Taiwanese people and Japan Spirit (台湾人と日本精神)” .

 

“Japan Spirit (日本精神) ” is still a commonly-used Taiwanese word and indicates “being diligent, honest and keeping a promise” in Taiwan (page 86).  He also described that there was neither abduction nor the taking away of Taiwanese women/girls against their will for making them comfort women in Taiwan (page 138).

Kuomintang Party governed Taiwan for long period of time and plagued people, but such bad governance was terminated by Mr. Lee Teng-hui (李登輝, 1923-).  He was the former President (1988-2000) who brought the true democracy to Taiwan.  He was born in Taiwan, but graduated Kyoto Imperial University, Japan, and at the end of the WW2 he was the second lieutenant of Imperial Japanese military.  He knew how Japan’s governance was like.  Therefore, he reviewed the past Japan’s occupation very fairly.  Unlike South Korea, Taiwanese have freedom of speech.  Taiwanese students can now learn the true modern history of Taiwan, how Japan’s occupation was like, why their development as a modern country was possible, why Taiwanese economic expansion took place earlier than other Asian countries.

Chapter 16: The Comfort women issues arose from Japanese commie’s lie. 

Originally, the comfort women issue arose from Japan.  It started from a commie’s lie in a book.  The author admitted that it was a fabricated story later, but Koreans have been using it as the proof of the outrageous conduct by Imperial Japanese army. 

Video H, Comfort women issue arose from Japanese commie’s lie

Video H explains about the lie very well.

In addition, some Japanese made the bad situations worse and worse, because of which this comfort women issues became very difficult to solve between the two countries.  They were left-winger Japanese newspaper company “Asahi Shimbun” and some self-styled human rights group lawyer who tried to obtain “fame” by their activity on this.  One of such lawyer, Mizuho Fukushima, became a Diet member in Japan.  The following article explains such very complex background of comfort women issue in Japan

A link to: An Introduction to the "Comfort Women Issue" for The New York Times

Chapter 17: No freedom of speech favoring Japan in South Korea

As described above briefly, South Koreans have no freedom of speech if it is positive for Japan.  Recently (July 2013), a Japanese female scholar of South Korean descent at Takushoku University, Japan, Professor Oh Seon-hwa (呉善花) was refused her entry to South Korea without clear reasons.  She had planned to attend her nephew’s wedding in South Korea but was forced to return to Japan.  She told at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan that she was probably denied entry because she is widely regarded as a pro-Japan scholar who strongly criticizes South Korea.

News article and the video of Oh Seon-hwa’s speech at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan
 The press interview:

Video 1/2:
Video 2/2:

Professor Oh Seon-hwa described in her book (entitled「反日韓国に未来はない」in Japanese)

According to her book, she was born in South Korea in 1956 and grew up there till her age 26.  However, she had never heard about Korean wowen who had been taken away against their will (or abducted) by Imperial Japanese military or government authorities during WW2.  She also interviewed older South Koreans who experienced Japan-Korea annexation era and reported that any of them had neither seen nor heard such misbehavior of Japan. 

She described that it was obvious that left-wing activists in Japan incited anti-Japanese nationalists in South Korea to create a malicious made-up story.  The story has been escalating worse and worse something like the following changes from “It might happen” through “It must happen” and finally to “It was the fact”.  

In South Korea, if people want to state something favoring Japan’s occupation of Korea or disfavoring Korea about anti-Japan campaign, they have to do it at the risk of life.  This link indicates an article written in Hangeul published on Sep 12, 2013.  It reports that a 90-yrs old South Korean man, who experienced Japan’s occupation of Korea, was killed by a 38-yrs old South Korean man because the old man admired Japan's occupation of Korea.   

Dear the U.S. citizens:  
Do you still believe in statements by anti-Japan propaganda for dis-honouring Japan?

Chapter 18: Who is the true ally for the US? Japan or South Korea?

Please watch and see the following videos and data and think about who is the true friend and ally for the US.  

Video I, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has strong relation with US Navy

 Video I shows very recent launching ceremony of Japanese war ship (held in Aug 2013). The vessel was decorated to show the friendship between Japan Self Defense Force and the US force.  In the ceremony, both "Gunkan March (Warship march)" written for Imperial Japanese Navy and "Anchors Aweigh" written for the United States Navy were played.

Video J, South Korean’s #3 enemy is the United States of America

Video J shows that #1 enemy for South Koreans is “Japan”, #2 enemy is North Korea and the number 3 enemy is the US.  The US is ranked “#3”, despite 54,000 Americans died during the Korean War to keep South Korea free from communism.  The comfort women issue ranges from the 1930's to 1945.  The Korean War happened in 1950 to 1953.  So, neither the Korean War nor the USA had anything to do with comfort women.

However, comfort women memorial was built at the Veterans Memorial at Eisenhower Park in Westbury, NY (June 2012) where souls of dead soldiers are enshrined.  The author told that comfort women memorial dishonors those 54,000 Americans with an issue not related to them or with the war they died in.

In contrast to South Koreans whose #3 enemy is the US, 85% Japanese see the US favorably (see an image below).  Do you think which one, either Japan or South Korea, is the true friend and true ally for the U.S.A.

                              85% Japanese see the US favorably

Chapter 19: Japan needs co-operation from the US citizens.  

If you can agree with that anti-Japan campaigns by Koreans and Korean Americans is unfair activity, please help Japan.  If your signature in the two links would help Japan so much.

An American lady, Ms. Jamie Upham is collecting signatures to protest Koreans’ action to prevent the Board of Education from putting false accusations of comfort women issue in American history books.

A link to petitions.moveon.org    Comfort Women Fabrication

Japanese really desire the US House of Representatives retract H.Res. 121.  For that purpose, signatures from the US citizens are also necessary to submit the petition to the White House.

A link to : Repeal the House of Representatives Resolution 121 to stop aggravating int'l harassment by Korean propaganda & lies!

Chapter 20: For the future to protect the dignity and rights of women
Honestly saying, I hesitated putting this chapter because some of the links may make Americans uncomfortable and stopped listening to Japanese.  However, I believe that all my American friends are people who value truth, fairness and justice.  Therefore, I believe that the other US citizens are also those who do so, which is my conclusion from my living experience in the US for over 10 years.

Mistreatment of women during war have been happening since the history of human beings.  This chapter dares to report mistreatment women done by the US and South Korean soldiers, but it is not for justifying mistreatment of women done by Imperial Japanese army.  I do never want to argue about which one was more evil.  I do never want to blame to each other about past incidents between Japan and the US.  To encourage all Americans for the discussion on a fair table regarding “War and Sex” and “protecting the dignity and rights of female victims by wars”, I would like Americans know the past history on this issue.  Here, cited is a part of the statement from Mr. Toru Hashimoto, the Mayor of Osaka city, Japan, whose real intention was distorted and reported by the media and who is being criticized by many local city councils and by organizations in the world.

 “This issue (comfort women issue between Japan and South Korea) should not be treated as an issue specific solely to the Imperial Japanese military. As long as widespread sexual problems on the battlefields continue to be trivialized, past offenses, which the whole world must face, will go uncorrected, and those violations that have not been eradicated even until today will not be resolved. "

 

 

A link to: Philippine Embassy has 'watch list' of suspect bars in South Korea (in STARS and STRIPES, Sep 2009)

Philippine Embassy officials in South Korea have established a “watch list” of bars where they believe Filipinas are forced into prostitution or otherwise exploited and are considering sharing it with the U.S. military.  Patrons at juicy bars are expected to buy expensive juice drinks for the female employees in exchange for their conversation and company, but prostitution and human trafficking have been recurring problems at many of the bars .  

  

The Filipinas are brought to Korea on entertainer visas, ostensibly as singers, but typically the women don’t learn until they arrive that their primary job is not to sing but to generate juice revenue.  And at some bars, if the women don’t earn enough in juice sales to meet quotas, they are pressured to have sex with patrons — often U.S. servicemen — for a price.

Prior to this article, Stars and Stripes also reported that, despite the military’s expressed zero tolerance for human trafficking, prostitution continues to be affiliated with many of the juicy bars that cluster in seedy entertainment districts near U.S. military bases across South Korea.

Human trafficking for prostitution is not an issue of half century ago, but the present-day issue in South Korea. 

Video K:  Rape of Vietnamese women by South Korean’s soldier.  Neither apology nor compensation, yet.

During Vietnamese war, South Korean’s soldier raped 200,000 Vietnamese women/girls.  In present days, the Half-breed called Lai Dai Han are at least 5,000 and at most 30,000 and are discriminated in Vietnamese society.  

Video L, The U.S. Forces Had a Comfort Women System in Japan (1945)

A link to: U.S. Courts-Martial in Occupation Japan: Rape, Race, and Censorship -
  as titled...

A link to:   Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA)

These three links explain about...

Right after the WW2 ending in 1945, the US governed Japan for 7 years.  During one month of the initial occupation, 2900 cases of rape by the US soldiers occurred in only Kanagawa Prefecture.  Total 30K cases during 7 years in whole country.  To protect Japanese women, brothels called Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA) for the US soldiers were built in 1945 at the request from General Headquarters of the Allied Powers (GHQ, aka., the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers) in many places of Japan. 

 

 

A link to: Ex-Prostitutes Say South Korea and U.S. Enabled Sex Trade Near Bases

New York Times (NYT) article:  a group of former prostitutes in South Korea have accused some of their country’s former leaders of a different kind of abuse: encouraging them to have sex with the American soldiers who protected South Korea from North Korea.  It is a big irony that NYT favoring anti-Japan campaign published this article previously, but now accusing only Japan based on Koreans’ fabricated stories. 

Thank you very much for your precious time for reading the large contents in this URL. 

By the author,  Sep 2013,