News Briefing (Jan-Feb 2022)
2022년 2월 18일News Briefing (Jan-Feb 2022) 2022.2.17.
**General comment
**The 30th anniversary of Wednesday Demonstration on January 5 was widely covered to promote the Japanese military sexual slavery victim-survivors’ and advocates’ long-lasting calls for justice and to raise awareness on the history denialist attempts in Korea. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) recommended that the police take proactive measures to protect the long-running Wednesday Demonstrations from defamation and human rights violations by history denialists, but far-right and conservative groups’ backlash continues.
The Japanese government pushed for the registration of Sado mine as UNESCO World Heritage, notwithstanding the criticism for the mine’s use of forced labor during the Japanese colonization of Korea.
On February 16, just a few weeks away from the presidential election, the Japanese military ‘comfort women’ victim support organizations network in Korea (of different organizations working on the issue) announced the responses of 6 candidates in regards to the 2015 ‘comfort women’ agreement and their willingness to resolve the issue. Four candidates (Lee Jae-myung, Sim Sang-jeong, Oh Jun-ho, Kim Jae-yeon) responded that the 2015 ‘comfort women’ agreement was not a just resolution and shared their willingness to work for resolution, while candidates Yoon Seok-yeol and Ahn Cheol-soo refused to respond.
Key articles
📌 30th anniversary of Wednesday Demonstration
Activists mark 30th anniv. of rally against Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, vow continued fight
30th anniversary Wednesday Demonstration pushed out of memorial site by far-right
“Comfort women” protest obstructed by far right despite call for safeguarding
Statement welcoming Human Rights Commission of Korea’s recommendation (Korean)
📌 Japan’s UNESCO Heritage campaign
Japan hoisted by own petard with UNESCO rule change
(LEAD) S. Korean FM protests against Japan’s Sado mine UNESCO bid in phone call with counterpart
📌 Presidential election
Lee, Sim express disapproval of 2015 comfort women deal: group
Full response from candidates
📌 Culture
What to Make of ‘Consolation Letters’ for Korean Soldiers
An ’easy target’? Why anti-Korean racism is festering in Japan
From Minority to Majority: Thoughts on Asian American Hate from an Asian American Living in Japan
Documentary film ‘Comfort’ tells untold story about former ‘comfort women’