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S Koreans want Abe apology over coercion denials

South Korean politicians yesterday urged Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to withdraw and apologize for his "outrageous" remarks questioning the wartime enslavement of tens of thousands of Asian women.

Abe disputed historians' assertions that Tokyo forced at least 200,000 "comfort women" to serve as sex slaves in Japanese army brothels in Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

"Attempts to cover up atrocities committed against comfort women are as futile as attempts to cover up the heaven with your palm," the National Assembly Members' Study Group for Correcting the Falsified National History said in a statement.

"The more Japan attempts to cover up, the heavier its responsibility for its oppressive colonial rule and cruel war crimes will become," the cross-party group of 30 lawmakers said.

"The outrageous remarks distorted history and poured cold water on South Korea-Japan ties. They must be withdrawn immediately," said a spokesman for the main opposition Grand National Party.

"Japan will never be able to hide from the historical truth. It should learn from Germany and repent its past wrongdoings," he said.

Most of the victims were Koreans, whose country was occupied by Japan from 1910 to 1945, but some were from other East Asian countries and even Europe.

But Abe was quoted as saying in a news conference on Thursday that there was no evidence women were coerced into sexual slavery.

"The fact is that there is no evidence to support the claim of the coercion," said Abe, who is known for his conservative views.

His statement contradicted evidence in Japanese documents unearthed in 1992 that historians said showed military authorities had a direct role in working with contractors to forcibly procure women for the brothels.

Abe's comments also appeared to contradict a statement of regret by Japan in 1993 when a top government spokesman issued a statement voicing "sincere apologies and remorse" and acknowledging that Japan's Imperial Army had been involved "directly or indirectly" in sexual slavery.

US lawmakers have introduced a nonbinding resolution urging Japan to apologize formally.

Supporters of the resolution want an apology similar to the one the US government gave to Japanese-Americans forced into internment camps during World War II. That apology was approved by the Congress and signed into law by former president Ronald Reagan in 1988.
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