Japan Recalls Envoy Over Sex-Slaves Statue (2017/01/15)
People look at a statue in honor of sex slavery victims in front of the Japanese consulate in Busan on Sunday.
Japan on Friday recalled its ambassador to Korea and the consul general in Busan in protest over a statue in honor of sex slavery victims that has been set up in front of the consulate. Tokyo also halted negotiations to extend a currency swap agreement.
The moves come as Korea is effectively rudderless while President Park Geun-hye faces impeachment over a massive influence-peddling and corruption scandal, which has resulted in her suspension and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-an being put nominally in charge.
The statue, which honors victims of Japan’s World War II campaign to draft Korean sex slaves for the Imperial Army, was set up by activists in front of the Japanese Consulate General in the southern port city.
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se summoned Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine Nagamine to protest, but the Japanese government apparently has no intention of backing off.
Park reached a deal with Japan in 2015 in which Tokyo made a non-committal apology for the atrocity and paid indirect compensation to the victims, but many here felt that let Japan off the hook.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on a TV program on Sunday, “Japan has already paid 1 billion yen to fulfill its obligations. Therefore, Korea should show sincerity”. Part of the deal was that a similar statue in front of the embassy in Seoul should be removed. “The 2015 deal should be implemented regardless of regime change”, Abe added.
Meanwhile, China continues to step up diplomatic pressure to get Korea to halt the stationing of a U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery here.
The pressure tactics have included canceling the appearances of Korean entertainers on Chinese TV, tax probes of Lotte Group affiliates in China, canceling charter flights to Korea and delaying certification for Korean electric-car battery makers.
The developments will not only exacerbate Korea’s economic slump but also weaken regional cooperation necessary to deal with North Korea’s nuclear threat.
But neither old nor new leaders in Seoul can afford to give the impression of caving in to foreign pressure. The deployment of the THAAD battery is seen as vital in countering the North Korean missile threat, while any attempt to remove the statue would touch a raw nerve among the Korean public.
A government source said, “The government should have done more to win the support and understanding of the public as reneging on these polices now could lead to even bigger problems”.
Source Japan Recalls Envoy Over Sex-Slaves Statue (2017/01/15)
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