“Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa at the time also judged that there was clearly coercion in the recruitment of comfort women for the Japanese military.”
Yohei Kono (86), former Speaker of the House of Representatives (House of Representatives), who announced the ‘Kono Statement’ containing apology and reflection on the comfort women issue for the first time at the Japanese government level, said this in an oral transcript published on the House of Representatives website on the 27th. Former Chairman Kono said in this oral history, “It has been 40 years and there are some parts of my memory that are vague, but the prime minister at the time thought that (the comfort women) were definitely forcibly taken away. “In that sense, I think it can be said that there was coercion,” he said.
Former Chairman Kono said in a statement in August 1993 when he was the Chief Cabinet Secretary, “There were many cases in which comfort women were recruited against their will through coaxing and coercion, and there were times when officials were directly involved,” adding, “Everyone who suffered injuries that are difficult to heal. “I express my apology and remorse for this,” he announced.
Through this oral history, he clearly stated that he had obtained the Prime Minister’s approval at the time of the statement, saying, “This was revealed by the Chief Cabinet Secretary as the intention of the Cabinet.” “It would be rather difficult to say that the cabinet does not know that,” he pointed out. This directly refuted some claims that the apology at the time was nothing more than a statement from the Chief Cabinet Secretary.
Former Chairman Kono also responded to some claims that there was no coercion in the recruitment of comfort women, saying, “There are no specific Japanese military documents remaining, but there is no way the military would leave such an official document. He also revealed, “At the time, the Ministry of Home Affairs said they burned all military materials on the day the war ended.”
The Japanese National Assembly is pursuing a project to compile oral records of past chairmen and vice-chairmen, as it believes that they are worth keeping as a historical record. Former Chairman Kono is the first target of this project.
Former Chairman Kono, who served as Foreign Minister, also introduced an anecdote related to former President Kim Dae-jung. He said, “A fellow lawmaker introduced me to Mr. Kim Dae-jung, saying, ‘He is a great politician who will take charge of Korea in the future.’ “He was sentenced to death after the Gwangju Incident (May 18 Democratization Movement), but he was surprised to be elected in the presidential election,” he said. He said, “I did not have any special position at the time, but (former President Kim) personally sent me a letter and invited me to the inauguration ceremony. “They gave us a special seat, and although it must have been busy, the two of us ate together,” he said. “I heard him say, ‘I’m glad I can have a meal with you like this.’ “It was a very good relationship,” he recalled.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.